There are some opportunities that only arrive once in a career for an actor and it is up to them to take the chance. Brian Cox now knows that Game of Thrones might have been his calling, although he did get another shot at the big time.
The actor doesn’t regret much in his life, but now, after experiencing the heights of HBO TV show ‘Succession’, he has documented his biggest regret: saying no to ‘Game of Thrones’.
Cox was offered a role in the popular fantasy series by the HBO showrunners, and even with his success in ‘Succession’, it has not helped heal the wound left by passing up on the world of GOT.
He was lined for for the role of Robert Baratheon in the series, but Cox turned down the showrunners Mark Mylod, Alex Graves and David Nutter as the finances were not right when the series was still in its infancy.
“I turned him down at the beginning because they didn’t pay enough money,” Cox said.
A successful time on ‘Succession’
As time went on, Cox realised that the role could have been a giant step forward in his career. Of course, after his vast success in his four seasons of ‘Succession’, money would not have been an issue.
However, his character would have died in the first season anyway, so he might never have benefited from the substantial upgrade that Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington enjoyed.
“I wouldn’t have had any of the benefits of the long-term effects of a successful series in which salaries increase with each passing season,” Cox wrote in his book.
Even so, the actor sees ‘Game of Thrones’ as one of his favourite series and would not have turned them down if the call had arrived later, when the series was already established, with another good role that suited his qualities.
Filmography of Brian Cox
- Braveheart (1995)
- X-Men 2 (2003)
- Troy (2004)
- The Last King of Scotland (2006)
- Red (2010)
- Red 2 (2013)
- Churchill (2017)
- Succession (2018-2023)
- Deadwood (2004-2006)
- The Crown (2016-2024)
- Nuremberg (2000)