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Tethered in a new interview The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim In the end, that’s what it’s all about Consequence (perhaps not surprising), Brian Cox talked about what it was like to be 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 believe he invented the role.
The veteran actor, who has earned his own share of legendary performances since 1986, has come to terms with an epic acting feud. “Well, it’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 the director Michael Mann and I chose 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 answer, Cox explained, “Because people knew I was the other Hannibal, and I was afraid that they would say, ‘You’re comparing Hannibal Lecters,’ and so on.” But we played it the way we played it. Tony decided to take a different route. And of course Tony’s was a huge success, he got the Oscar and made a lot of money from it. I made like 10 grand.”
But the only rule that seems to apply to both is that of 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 I was bragging, and that wasn’t the case. And then one afternoon I woke up and the phone started ringing and all hell broke loose… Tony’s wife at the time called my agent and said, “Tony’s a little upset about this.” So I called my agent and said, “Look “I apologize.” Tony and I have worked together a few times since then. We never talk about it. And that’s a rule we would never do.”
For those wondering, THR has not discussed Mads Mikkelsen’s take on the character in the TV series Hannibal– so we’re still wondering what Cox was thinking The version of the sophisticated serial killer. With that in mind, you’re good to go THR to read the full interview.
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