Brian Cox was not impressed with Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott’s movie Napoleon.

The acid-tongued Succession star didn’t hold back when he gave his verdict on Phoenix’s performance as the French emperor and military commander in the 2023 historical epic.

“Terrible. It’s terrible. A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling,” he said during a talk titled Brian Cox: History on Stage and Screen at the HistFest history festival in London, according to the Evening Standard.

“I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No – it’s lies.”

Making a quip about the Oscar-winning actor’s name, Cox added, “I think he’s well-named. Joaquin…whackeen… wacky (sic). It’s a sort of wacky performance.”

During his talk with newsreader Clive Myrie, the Scottish actor lamented the loss of historical accuracy for dramatic reasons in films.

He also highlighted the inaccuracies in Mel Gibson’s 1995 epic Braveheart, which depicted Scottish rebellion leader Sir William Wallace.

Cox, who played Argyle Wallace in the film, said, “Braveheart is a load of nonsense. Mel Gibson was wonderful but it’s a load of lies. He never impregnated the French princess. It is a b**locks (sic) that film.”

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