'Succession' Star Brian Cox Recalls Telling Meryl Streep 'I Never Liked You'

The actor makes the surprising confession while interviewing Emily Blunt about 'The Devil Wears Prada.'

Brian Cox certainly chose a bold ice breaker when he met Meryl Streep

The Succession star opens up about a conversation he says he once had with the legendary actress, which certainly seemed to have caught her attention. While interviewing Emily Blunt for Variety's Actors on Actors series, talk turns to Blunt's breakthrough role opposite Streep in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada

"I loved it," Cox says of the film. "And to work with one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, I so envy you. One of my ambitions, before I snuff it, is to work with Meryl."

Teasing Cox not to use the term "snuff it," Blunt calls Streep "amazing" and "slightly terrifying" in the role. 

Streep starred as powerhouse fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, with Blunt and Anne Hathaway portraying her assistants. Streep's character is widely considered to have been inspired by Vogue editor Anna Wintour. 

"She said it was one of the first times she’s tried Method acting," Blunt says of Streep's performance. "But it made her so miserable, playing Miranda."

That's when Cox shared his own story about Streep. 

"I met her once, and I said, 'I never liked you,'" he recalls. "And she went, 'What?' I said, 'I never liked you because I was jealous.' How can anybody be that good?"

Cox and Blunt discuss their buzzworthy work in HBO's Succession and Amazon Prime Video's The English, respectively, all episodes of which are available now to stream.

In Variety's article, the editor notes that the actors appear to become fast friends during their time together for the interview.

"In person, the two New York transplants have too much in common to capture in one interview," the outlet states. "They begin chatting well before cameras roll, and keep going for 20 minutes after the shoot wraps. The two make plans for Blunt to show Cox 'the best croissant in Brooklyn' as their handlers wait patiently in the wings." 

Meanwhile, Streep is headed to streaming on the upcoming third season of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, appearing opposite Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, along with fellow series newcomer Paul Rudd

Only Murders in the Building is expected to return on Aug. 8. 

RELATED CONTENT: