Brian Cox Shades $1,000 Ticket Price to See Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Othello’: ‘Excuse Me, That’s Wrong’

Brian Cox ripped the nearly $1,000 ticket price to see “Othello” on Broadway starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhall saying it was “wrong.”

The “Succession” star, and well-known stage actor gave a talk Thursday at a London Theater, and according to The Daily Mail, did not mince words on his opinions about the state of American theater. 

“It’s not right,” Cox said. “There’s amazing shows and hits but there’s too much money stuff involved in American theatre where apparently, you’re paying $1,000 a night to see ‘Othello.’” He also took the moment to throw some not-so-subtle shade at Gyllenhaal’s performance as Iago saying he heard it was “not particularly wonderful.” 

The Emmy-winning actor continued: “A friend of mine said they couldn’t believe it, and they paid a f—— … excuse me, that’s wrong. That balance is wrong because it puts the theatre in a whole different place.”

“I mean, I’ve got nothing against Denzel Washington, good luck,” Cox added later while expanding on his opinion of the show. “And I think he should do it. I would like to direct him so you can get it right. Jake Gyllenhaal is another problem.”

The “Succession” star is currently starring in his own play, “The Score” in London’s West End

“Othello” opened March 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City and immediately broke records. For the week of March 18, the show grossed $2.82 million, the highest single week figure ever for a non-musical play on Broadway. Ticket prices surged immediately and currently still run nearly $800 to $1,000 a ticket. The show is also in high-demand since it’s a limited release that’s currently scheduled to close on June 8.

The prices of “Othello” have become a major talking point, not just for Cox. Audra McDonald, who is also a well-known stage actress herself, joked to Gyllenhaal during their Variety Actors on Actors: Broadway interview earlier this week that she could not “afford to come” to the actor’s show.

Washington has received praise for his performance and has made the rounds promoting the play. On “CBS News Sunday Morning” in March host Bill Whitaker pointed out the amount of “Hollywood actors” who have roles on Broadway this season. 

“I’m a stage actor who does film, it’s not the other way around. I did stage first. I learned how to act on stage, not on film,” Washington declared.  I don’t know what ‘Hollywood’ means.”

“Othello” runs through June 8. Tickets can be purchased here.  

The post Brian Cox Shades $1,000 Ticket Price to See Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Othello’: ‘Excuse Me, That’s Wrong’ appeared first on TheWrap.