Brian Cox slams Joaquin Phoenix for ‘truly terrible' performance in ‘Napoleon'

Brian Cox shared his honest opinion on Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, in his 2023 film Napoleon.

Speaking at the HistFest in London, the Succession actor shared his take on Phoenix’s performance, noting, “It’s terrible.”

“A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling”, the 77-year-old actor said, as reported by The Evening Standard.

“I don’t know what he was thinking," he added.

Phoenix, aged 49, played the titular character in Ridley Scott’s directed film opposite Vanessa Kirby’s Joséphine Bonaparte. 

The acclaimed movie, which narrated the rise and fall of the French Emperor, grossed $221 million worldwide against a massive budget of $200 million.

Putting the blame on the Oscar winner actor, he said, “I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him”, before claiming that he “would have played it a lot better” than him.

“You can say it’s good drama. No... it’s lies”, the father of four asserted before mocking his name.

He said, “I think he’s well named. Joaquin…whackeen… whacky. It’s a sort of whacky performance.”