Succession Star Was 'Ignored' by the 007 Franchise, Got His Revenge in the Most Roy Way Possible
The Roy family knows that revenge is a dish best served cold.
Bond movies are often only as good as their antagonists. The first film, Dr. No, even took its name from the saga's first cinematic villain. Since then, the franchise has seen the emergence of several types of Bond villains: trap-setters, formidable henchmen, and femme fatales.
Many prominent actors have played Bond villains, including Javier Bardem, Sean Bean, and Mads Mikkelsen. But the franchise's creators certainly made a big mistake by ignoring the one actor, who has recently experienced a second wave of popularity thanks to the show Succession.
Brian Cox, who played the head of the Roy family in Succession, said that one of the reasons he agreed to host the James Bond reality show 007: Road to a Million was because he was "ignored" by the franchise's producers, and this became his way of getting revenge.
“I've been ignored over the years as far as James Bond is concerned. One of the kind of cockeyed reasons I did [007: Road to a Million] was I thought, well: really? If you were ever looking for somebody to play a Bond villain [it would be me]… so this is sort of my way of getting back at them," he shared with GQ.
007: Road to a Million will be released on the Prime Video streaming service. Cox will play a villainous character called The Controller, who monitors the contestants and hands out cash prizes of up to £1 million.
The contestants will be paired off to perform various tasks in the most famous locations from the James Bond books and films, like Jamaica, Venice, and Scotland.
Although Brian Cox has never played a Bond villain, he has recently portrayed a character, who would easily beat any 007 foe, in Succession.
Succession centers on the Roy family, owners of the mega-corporation Waystar that controls television networks, movie studios, amusement parks, and more.
The head of the company, Cox's Logan Roy, is a real mogul: a grumpy and cruel old man willing to do anything to succeed. He has long been planning to retire and hand over the reins to his children, but he keeps changing his mind because he cannot let go of the power.
Succession has already gone down in television history as one of the most exciting dramas, and Logan Roy as one of the most ambiguous, cruel, but oddly touching characters.
Source: GQ