Brian Cox Criticizes Joaquin Phoenix’s Performance in Napoleon as ‘Truly Dreadful’

Brian Cox is an incredible actor who is prominently known for his role as the family patriarch Logan Roy in the renowned television series Succession. Apart from being an amazing actor, he is also an outspoken quote machine. The actor has reached a point in his career where he doesn’t feel guarded about sharing his opinions. Recently, Brian Cox blatantly slammed Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon. Cox said that he believes if he were at Phoenix’s place, he’d have done a better job. 

Cox was very direct while expressing his opinion, without holding back any criticism or negative feedback. 

Brian Cox shared his unfiltered opinion regarding Joaquin Phoenix’s performance

Joaquin Phoenix needs no introduction. He is an impeccable actor with an impressive resume. Throughout his career, he has given many incredible films and has also been honored with various accolades including top honors like Academy Award. However, it’s true for every profession that not all your work can always be great, no matter how good you are at your work. Even legendary actor Phoenix has had those days when his films weren’t that great and received mixed reviews. 

In 2023, Phoenix appeared in a historical drama film, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott. In the film, Phoenix plays the titular role of Napoleon Bonaparte and depicts his rise to power as well as his relationship with his wife, Joséphine Bonaparte. 

The film has grossed $221 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics. While some praised it for its battle sequences and performances, it was criticized for its historical inaccuracies. Actor Brian Cox, who watched the film, also claimed that he didn’t like both the movie and Phoenix’s performance in it. 

According to Yahoo! News, Cox said of Phoenix in Napoleon, “It’s terrible. Truly a dreadful performance by Joaquin Phoenix. I have no idea what he was thinking. I believe the fault lies entirely with him, and Ridley Scott didn’t do him any favors. I’m confident I could have delivered a much better performance than Phoenix did. You can call it compelling drama, but I call it misleading.”

As mentioned above, the film received mixed reviews from the critics. Despite the criticism, it was appreciated in certain areas. The film received nominations at the 96th Academy Awards for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Visual Effects. While some critics praised the film’s epic scale, battle scenes, and Phoenix and Kirby’s performances, some took issue with the length and Scott’s “bloated” direction.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 332 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website’s consensus reads: “Ridley Scott is intent on proving the emperor has no clothes in Napoleon, a slyly funny epic with bravura set pieces and a divided runtime that keeps it from outright conquering.”

The film marked the reunion of Phoenix and Ridley Scott, as the two previously worked together in Gladiator. 

In August 2023, Scott shared plans for a director’s cut of Napoleon, which will delve deeper into the character of Empress Joséphine. The director hopes to release this extended version in theaters and on Apple TV+ following the initial theatrical release. Scott mentioned that the director’s cut would have a runtime of four hours and ten minutes.

Napoleon is available to stream on Apple TV+.