The actor Brian Cox could have played a role in Game of Thrones, but he declined. He was sure that the character would not survive for long.
Brian Cox played the military scientist William Stryker in X-Men 2 in 2003. In the series Succession, he played the lead role as media and entertainment mogul Logan Roy until May 2023.
Our colleagues at Moviepilot say: Succession is the better Game of Thrones, makes TV history and no one notices.
In an interview published on September 26, 2023 in the online magazine GQ, the 77-year-old actor looks back on his career. Brian Cox could have played the role of Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones. He does not regret turning down the offer – he had good reasons.
“I would have been dead within four episodes”
Why did he turn down the offer? Brian Cox tells GQ that he does not regret declining the role in Game of Thrones back then. He gives two reasons:
I would have been dead within four episodes. So I saw the short-lived nature of the role. And like I said, the series production was still just starting out and the salaries were not exactly wonderful. They did very well, but at first, it was just “let’s give it a try.”
Brian Cox via GQ
What kind of role was it? Brian Cox would have played the role of Robert Baratheon, one of the main characters in the first season of Game of Thrones. The role was eventually taken over by Mark Addy – until the death of Robert Baratheon in the seventh episode of the first season.
The character Brian Cox was supposed to play was indeed not particularly long-lived.
As for the death of another character from Game of Thrones, actor Kit Harington had to decide whether to spill a secret or get a fine:
In his book ‘Putting the Rabbit in the Hat,’ the actor describes himself as a “wandering pragmatist who always goes from one job to the next” (via GQ). Brian Cox says his career has gone exactly that way. He did not expect to be so successful at his age. “It just happened,” the actor tells GQ.
Speaking of himself, the actor says in the interview that he is a born optimist. When he looks back on his life, he thinks he has done well – but he has also worked hard for it.
If, unlike Brian Cox, you are really eager for Game of Thrones, it might be worth taking a look at our list: 11 series like Game of Thrones
