Succession star Brian Cox regretted turning down a Game of Thrones role

Game of Thrones is one of the biggest shows of the 21st century, and even though the show’s ending didn’t please all its fans, the cast and the amazing cinematography stand tall as one of the best to have ever been on a TV show. There’s a reason why so many great actors wanted to be a part of the show, the list includes MCU’s Elizabeth Olsen, Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown, and quite surprisingly, Succession star Brian Cox.

Cox specializes in playing grizzled, no-nonsense types with a bit of an edge to them, which is why he’s so compelling as media empire head Logan Roy on Succession.

“Stupidly, I turned it down in the early days because they didn’t pay enough money,” Cox told Vodzilla back in 2016, shortly after Game of Thrones had wrapped its sixth season. “Now they have more money. And I was silly. I was silly, it was silly, because I’m a complete addict now. But I don’t know what I could play.”

“I just watched my friend Ian McShane and I thought, ‘Ooh, Ian’s in it,’ so I settled down to watch him,” Cox continued. “And I thought, ‘Ian did that?’ and immediately I thought, ‘God, they must have paid him well,’ because I know Ian! And there was Max von Sydow doing that character that he did. So in a way, it’s attracting certain people who do film and, of course, I’ve got friends like Clive Russell and Liam Cunningham—and Charlie Dance is an old pal—being in it. And they had a great time in it.”

Who do you think Bryan Cox would have played on Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments below!