Brian Cox slams Johnny Depp as an 'overrated' and 'overblown' actor in his new memoir

• Brian Cox writes about Johnny Depp in his new memoir, "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat."
• Cox said he declined an offer to appear in "Pirates of the Caribbean" with Depp years ago.

Brian Cox criticized Johnny Depp's artistry in his new autobiography, "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," which was published in the UK on Tuesday.

In his memoir, the 75-year-old Emmy winner, best known for his role as tyrannical media mogul Logan Roy on HBO's "Succession," wrote that he declined an opportunity to appear in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series in the early 2000s. The casting team offered Cox the role of Governor Weatherby Swann, which was later given to Jonathan Pryce.

To this day, Cox remains unimpressed by the franchise's star: Johnny Depp.

"Personable though I'm sure he is, is so overblown, so overrated," the actor wrote of the 58-year-old "Sweeney Todd" star, according to The Big Issue.

He then drew attention to Depp's performance as the lead in Tim Burton's 1990 film "Edward Scissorhands" to demonstrate his point.

"Let's face it, if you come on with hands like that and pale, scarred-face make-up, you don't have to do anything. And he didn't. And subsequently, he's done even less," Cox reportedly wrote.

A representative for Depp did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"Putting the Rabbit in the Hat" also features anecdotes about Cox's experiences with A-list stars such as Ed Norton, Steven Seagal, and more, throughout his almost 60-year-long career.

"Some people do memoirs far, far too young. Why are you doing your memoir now when you're only 32? There's no life! Getting to where I've got to, you're looking more at the end than the beginning, and you have to just be as honest as you can be without causing offence," he told Esquire.

In retrospectively examining his story, the Scotsman aimed to be equally as critical of himself as others.

"If I was going to be tough with people I had to be equally tough with myself, and not be vainglorious, in order to create a balance," he explained.

And at 75 years old, Cox said he's learned to own his past, "warts and all."

"In the book, I had to say, 'Look I was not a good father, I was unfaithful,' and it's tough but that was part of what I was. At my age you have to just call a shovel a shovel."

"Putting the Rabbit in the Hat" will be released in the US in January 2022.