Johnny Depp Overrated? Brian Cox Regrets Making ‘Harsh’ Comments Against Actor
Johnny Depp became the subject of Brian Cox's memoir where he was called "overblown" and "overrated."
Following the release of "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," Cox spoke candidly about his comments against Depp and how he regrets it now.
On Monday, the "Succession" actor sat for an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" where he quipped about Depp's fan club that feels like a CIA agency that works to protect the actor.
"I just thought I was being a bit harsh," Cox said. "You know what it's like - you go for the easy joke. And I went for the easy joke."
For what it's worth, he called the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star "so overblown, so overrated" in his memoir.
After expressing his regret, Kimmel asked Cox whether he believes actors think of themselves as overrated. According to the Hollywood star, actors indeed think they are overrated most of the time. But he noted that they also sometimes think they are underrated.
Cox never worked with Depp, but he originally turned down the "Pirates of the Caribbean" role where Depp starred in, as confirmed by The Big Issue. Instead of him, Jonathan Pryce eventually played the Governor role in the 2003 "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and the next two sequels.
Brian Cox Defended Himself
Before speaking about the issue with Kimmel, the veteran actor has since defended himself and explained to Yahoo! Entertainment that he did not write those words about Depp out of disrespect.
"What certain people accused me of was my lack of respect, and I really do not disrespect anybody involved in this profession because I know how difficult it is," he said. "Now, I may have reservations about their talent, but I certainly don't disrespect them."
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Cox said that his reservations about the "Fantastic Beasts" actor were minimal, repeating that Depp is overblown. Still, he said that Depp has considerable work. After "Minamata," the actor is now set to portray King Louis XV's role in a currently untitled film by French filmmaker, Maiwenn.
Although he had that impression toward Depp, he still took his time to praise several actors who caught his attention in the past years. He particularly mentioned Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, and Peter O'Toole as the people he speaks highly of. In his book, he also applauded Mel Gibson and Woody Allen for their works.
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