Why Brian Cox was a “pain” for 007: Road to a Million cast

❘ Published: 2023-11-10T09:00:00

Amazon Prime Video

He’s been terrorizing his fictional children at WaystarRoyco since 2018, but now Brian Cox has gone from political villain to Bond villain thanks to new reality series 007: Road to a Million.

Stepping into the role of gamemaster, Cox is the booming voice that leads nine pairs through a series of challenges in the hopes of winning £1 million per pair. The catch? Nine questions that need answering have been hidden across the globe.

In true James Bond style, our not-so-lucky couples are pushed to their limits in order to level up and bank as much money as possible – but as soon as they get a question wrong, they’re out.

When the stakes are so high, the smallest of things can be irritating – with Brian Cox’s ominous voice at the end of the phone possibly one of them.

Brian Cox voice “a pain” for 007: Road to a Million cast

Speaking to Dexerto, the cast of 007: Road to a Million revealed that Brian Cox’s voice was a “pain in the a**” to work with through the show’s dangerous challenges.

“A lot of the time, we were a bit like ‘God, he’s being a pain in the a**.’ We didn’t like him half the time if I’m honest,” explained competitors James and Joey Bone.

“As we moved on, the voice started getting a bit easier to recognize. It was mad when we found out who it actually was. We’ve all seen the shows he’s been in. He’s a legend anyway, but in recent times because of Succession and stuff, the fact that he’s mentioned our names and we’ve been in the show alongside him… We’re taking that one with us.”

“We didn’t recognize him at all,” said Josh and Kamara. “You just try to focus on what he was saying and get to the challenge, get the question right.”

Though his official title in 007: Road to a Million is The Controller, Cox told Variety that he has always eyed up another role in the world of James Bond.

“I thought ‘Oh, 007, finally,’” he said. “I should have realized that we haven’t got a new James Bond so why would they be casting a villain? But I thought: ‘This might be my big moment to play a Bond villain.’ I’ve always wanted to play a Bond villain.”

“He would have been a great Bond,” Bond producer Barbara Broccoli added, who also worked on 007: Road to a Million. “He’s amazing and audiences love him and he’s so great in the show.”

007: Road to a Million will launch exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories on 10 November. Check out our other TV & Movies hubs below: