Brian Cox explains why he rejected Game of Thrones role

Actor is candid about his career choices in his new memoir

Brian Cox has admitted he decided against starring in the fantasy epic Game of Thrones because “the money was not all that great”.

In his new memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, Cox wrote about being offered the role of a king called Robert Baratheon.

In an excerpt published in GQ, the actor details how he was presented with the opportunity along with “every other bugger”.

Cox, 75, said he doesn’t know a huge amount about the show and hasn’t researched how big the part was since he turned it down.

“Game of Thrones went on to be a huge success and everybody involved earned an absolute fortune, of course. But when it was originally offered the money was not all that great, shall we say,” said the Succession star.

“Plus I was going to be killed off fairly early on, so I wouldn’t have had any of the benefits of the long-term effects of a successful series where your wages go up with each passing season.

“So I passed on it, and Mark Addy was gored by the boar instead. (I lied. I did google it.)”

Brian Cox speaking onstage at the Critics’ Choice Awards in January 2020 (Getty Images for Critics Choice )

Addy (previously A Knight’s Tale and The Full Monty) played the role of Robert Baratheon in season one of the hit HBO fantasy drama.

Cox also said he turned down the opportunity to star in Pirates of the Caribbean because he thinks Johnny Depp is “so overrated”.