Aside from their acting prowess, one thing Brian Cox and Meryl Streep have in common is their frightening portrayal of corporate leaders. The former's performance as Logan Roy in HBO's Succession has joined the ranks of Game of Thrones' patriarch, Twyin Lannister played by Charles Dance.
And of course, who could forget the icy Miranda Priestly of The Devil Wears Prada — which even made Anne Hathaway scared of Streep in real life? Yes, the three-time Oscar winner could get carried away by her acting process.
Could it be why Cox told her that he's "never liked" her? The former notably sparked an internet debate when he expressed his honest thoughts on Jeremy Strong's extreme method of acting, playing Logan's son, Kendall Roy.
Fans were quick to speculate that the two aren't on good terms in person, much like their feuding father-and-son characters. Here's what the Troy star really feels about Strong, Streep, and method acting in general.
How Did Brian Cox Feel About Succession?
Cox admitted that he felt "a bit rejected" after his character's death at the start of the final season. After Succession wrapped, he took to his Instagram Stories to bid his official farewell to the "greatest work experience ever." He wrote: "We have now come to the end. And what has been, in my career, certainly the greatest work experience ever."
"The harmony between cast and crew was truly amazing," he continued. "It was on [its] way to become a great series but the Love and commitment from crew to cast and writers, made it memorable. I would like to thank all of us in the making and creating of this show from the very bottom of my heart."
As for Logan's death, he clarified that he "was fine with it ultimately, but I did feel a little bit rejected. You know, I felt a little bit, oh, all the work I've done and finally I'm going to, you know, end up as an ear on a carpet of a plane." He went on to describe the plot as a "a pretty brilliant way" to kill off his part.
Does Brian Cox Like Jeremy Strong?
When asked about his thoughts on Strong's method acting during a cover story for Town & Country in February 2023, Cox said: "Oh, it's f---- annoying. Don't get me going on it." In 2022, he said on Late Night With Seth Meyers that Strong "does get obsessed with the work."
"And I worry about what it does to him, because if you can't separate yourself," he added back then, "because you're dealing with all of this material every day. You can't live in it. Eventually, you get worn out."
But later, during Succession's London premiere in March 2023, he said: "They keep trying to get a fight going between me and Jeremy Strong and it won't work, because we both love one another. Even though we have differences, we have such respect as well." Cox also told Town & Country that Strong is "a very good actor."
The Manhunter star also noted that his onscreen son is still himself despite his immersive depiction of Kendall. "He's still that guy, because he feels if he went somewhere else he'd lose it," said Cox. "But he won’t! Strong is talented. He's f---ing gifted. When you've got the gift, celebrate the gift. Go back to your trailer and have a hit of marijuana, you know?"
Why Has Brian Cox 'Never Liked' Meryl Streep?
During Variety's new Actors on Actors interview with Emily Blunt, Cox revealed that when he first met Streep, he told her that he "never liked" her. "I met her once, and I said, 'I never liked you.' And she went, 'What?'" Cox shared with the actress who played Miranda Pirestly's intense assistant, Emily Charlton in Devil's Wears Prada.
The Braveheart actor also recalled telling the Mamma Mia! star: "I never liked you because I was jealous." He then told Blunt, "How can anybody be that good?" After the latter said that the fashion flick brought in an "extraordinary overnight shift in my life," Cox said that he's actually a fan of the film and that he envy her for getting to work with Streep.
"I loved it," he said of the movie. "And to work with one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, I so envy you. One of my ambitions, before I snuff it, is to work with Meryl." Blunt told him not to "snuff it," saying: "You will [get to work with her]."
She also talked about Streep's process, saying: "She's amazing and was slightly terrifying on that film. She said it was one of the first times she's tried Method acting. But it made her so miserable, playing Miranda."
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