Brian Cox Turned Down Game of Thrones' Baratheon Role Over Low Salary
The veteran actor saw no potential in joining the iconic show.
One of the most revered Hollywood actors, Brian Cox stunned the audience with his recent role as Logan Roy, the patriarch of a multi-million dollar family, in HBO's Succession. But even before that, the actor appeared in over two hundred projects and, reportedly, turned down many famous roles for one reason or another.
Fans of the actor were recently shocked to learn that Cox refused to play King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones. Here's why he turned down the producers' offer.
According to the actor himself, he was approached by HBO to play Robert Baratheon in the first season of the show. However, Cox thought spending so much time on the set of the fantasy series wasn't worth the money he was offered, so he turned down the role. Aside from Sean Bean, Game of Thrones' Season 1 cast consisted of relative nobodies, and Cox apparently didn't think the series had much potential for an iconic actor like himself.
His judgment was right in a way, as Robert Baratheon was killed off in the seventh episode of the first season. That is why fans of the actor supported his decision to turn down HBO's offer, saying that playing the role would not change anything in his career.
'To be fair I don't think him turning down the role of Robert is that big of a blow, not like he could negotiate a big pay raise in the second season if he was Robert,' one fan noted.
Also, as George R. R. Martin's fans rightly point out, the series' realism would suffer if Brian Cox had been cast as Baratheon. The character is said to be much younger in the books, which is why the role was eventually given to Mark Addy, who is almost 20 years younger than Cox.
'Considering Bobby B is supposed to be in his late 30s at most, and the same age as Ned regardless, I'd say it's a good thing he didn't get the part,' a fan argued.
Ultimately, Mark Addy gave an excellent performance as King Robert Baratheon, and Game of Thrones fans aren't disappointed about Cox's decision to opt out of the project.
Source: Reddit.