Brian Cox Criticizes Joaquin Phoenix’s “Terrible” Performance In ‘Napoleon’: “It Really Is Appalling, I Don’t Know What He Was Thinking”

Brian Cox has gained a reputation in recent years as being, well, frank and outspoken in his opinions. That goes for his stance on method acting in particular, which he deems “f*cking annoying” and blames Daniel Day-Lewis for its popularity. Cox’s 2021 book had some choice words about fellow actors, too, including Johnny Depp (“so overblown, so overrated”) and Edward Norton (“a bit of a pain in the arse”), among others. So, yeah, anytime Cox does an interview, expect some candid and unfiltered remarks.

READ MORE: ‘Little Wing’ Trailer: Brian Cox & Brooklynn Pierce Star In Heartwarming Coming-Of-Age Tale On March 13

And Variety reports that’s exactly what Cox supplied at London’s HistFest last weekend. The actor was a featured speaker at the two-day event to promote his lead performance in the West End production of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” but he made time for his typical tongue-lashings about his fellow players. The first head on the chopping block?  Joaquin Phoenix and his performance in Ridley Scott‘s “Napoleon.” “It’s terrible,” Cox said of Phoenix’s work in the film. “A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No — it’s lies.” That’s quite the opprobrium, but Cox wasn’t done. “I think he’s well named. Joaquin … wackeen … wacky. It’s a sort of wacky performance.”

Next, Cox decried blockbuster moviemaking’s penchant for poor historical accuracy, with Mel Gibson‘s 1995 epic “Braveheart” (a film Cox starred in) as his punching bag. “”Braveheart” is a load of nonsense,” said the actor. “Mel Gibson was wonderful, but it’s a load of lies. He never impregnated the French princess. It is a bollocks, that film.” And as for theater critics who compared his current theater role to his turn as Logan Roy in “Succession,” Cox isn’t having it. “It’s stupid! Why make that comparison? It’s so obvious,” he continued. “Most critics are stupid. They really are. Theater criticism has gone right down the tubes. You think of those wonderful critics of the past, there’s nobody to match them now. Because they don’t do their homework.”

And here’s a fresh take on what Cox considers the scourge of his profession: method acting. “Oh no that’s all bollocks,” said about the acting technique. “It’s a kind of nonsense. We’re transmitters. That’s what we are as actors. We transmit energy.” Cox stressed that researching a role is more critical for a strong performance than inhabiting the character. “You have to do your homework,” he continued. “That’s the delight of it, the information you get because you’re reading everything about Churchill, and you’re building up a picture of who this person was.”

Was that all from Mr. Cox at HistFest last weekend? Not quite, as the actor did make some brief asides about American politics. “It’s very hard to govern America and you certainly don’t need idiots like Trump doing that,” said Cox. “I do think that Biden is a good man but he’s too old.” As for whether he’ll leave the US if Trump gets reelected this November, Cox replied, “I probably will.”

As for Cox’s next film projects, he’ll provide voice work on “The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim,” “The Electric State,” and “That Christmas” this year. Onscreen roles? Horror comedy “The Parenting” is on the way, and crime comedy “Riff Raff” is filming now.