In a new interview linked to The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim that ends up being mainly about Succession (perhaps unsurprisingly), Brian Cox talked about what it was like being the guy who played Hannibal Lecter on screen for the first time… a few years before Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning performance in The silence of the lambs made everyone think he had originated the role.
The veteran actor, who since 1986 has carved out his own share of legendary performances, has made peace with what could have been an epic feud between actors. “Well, he’s a different character,” he said. the hollywood reporter. “I mean, it’s like playing Hamlet. Everyone will have their own Hamlet. I chose to play it the way director Michael Mann and I decided to play it. Tony played it brilliantly. I mean, I had to go to Paris to see it because I couldn’t bring myself to see it in London.”
When asked for clarification on the last part of his response, Cox explained: “Because people knew I was the other Hannibal and I was worried that they would say, ‘You’re comparing Hannibal Lecters’ and all that. But we play it how we play it. Tony decided to take another path. And, of course, Tony’s was a huge success, it won the Oscar and made a lot of money from it. I won something like $10,000.”
But the only rule that apparently applies to both is that Cox and Hopkins don’t talk about Hannibal Lecter. “I did an interview with a newspaper and the headline in the newspaper was that I was the first Hannibal Lecter. Well, that was true, but it sounded like he was bragging about it and he wasn’t. And then I woke up one afternoon and the phone started ringing and all hell broke loose… Tony’s then-wife called my agent and said, ‘Tony’s a little upset about that.’ So I called my agent and said, ‘Look, I apologize.’ Tony and I have worked together a couple of times since then. We never talk about it. And that is a rule we would never follow.”
For those wondering, THR didn’t mention Mads Mikkelsen’s version of the character from the TV series. Hannibal—So we’re still wondering what Cox thought. that version of the sophisticated serial killer. With that in mind, you can head to THR to read the full interview.
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