Brian Denis Cox (born 1 June 1946) is a Scottish actor. He has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre extensively, where he gained recognition for his portrayal of

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

. He played supporting roles in '' Rob Roy'' (1995) and

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...

's Academy Award-winning '' Braveheart'' (1995). He was the first actor to portray

Hannibal Lecter Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a Character (arts), fictional character created by the novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a serial killer who Human cannibalism, eats his victims. Before his capture, he was a respected Forensic psychiatry, forensic psychi ...

on film in '' Manhunter'' (1986). A winner of two

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

s, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, he has also been nominated for a British Academy Television Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2003, he was appointed to the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

at the rank of Commander. Cox won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his portrayal of

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

in ''

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

'', and received nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. His performance in ''L.I.E.'' earned him an

AFI Award The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsi ...

nomination and an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

nomination. His guest-starring role in the series ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'' earned him his second Emmy nomination in 2002, in which year he also appeared in seven films grossing $347 million at the box office. He received his second SAG Award nomination as part of the ensemble cast of Spike Jonze's '' Adaptation'', in which he played Hollywood's screenwriting guru

Robert McKee Robert McKee (born January 30, 1941) is an author, lecturer and story consultant who is known for his "Story Seminar", which he developed when he was a professor at the University of Southern California. McKee is the author of ''Story: Substa ...

. He also played General William Stryker in '' X-Men 2''. He currently stars as Logan Roy on HBO's series '' Succession'' (2018–present), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Cox's notable film credits include ''

The Long Kiss Goodnight ''The Long Kiss Goodnight'' is a 1996 American action thriller film co-produced and directed by Renny Harlin, and produced by Shane Black and Stephanie Austin with screenplay written by Black. It stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Amand ...

'' (1996), ''

The Boxer "The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone si ...

'' (1997), '' Rushmore'' (1998), '' Super Troopers'' (2001), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), '' The Ring'' (2002), ''

25th Hour ''25th Hour'' is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Edward Norton. Adapted by David Benioff from his own 2001 debut novel '' The 25th Hour'', it tells the story of a man's last 24 hours of freedom as he prepares to go ...

'' (2002), ''

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

'' (2004), ''The Bourne Supremacy'' (2004), '' Red Eye'' (2005), ''

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pat ...

'' (2007), '' The Escapist'' (2008), ''

Fantastic Mr. Fox ''Fantastic Mr Fox'' is a children's literature, children's novel written by British author Roald Dahl. It was published in 1970, by Allen & Unwin, George Allen & Unwin in the UK and Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S., with illustrations by Donald Ch ...

'' (2009), ''

RED Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

'' (2010), ''

Rise of the Planet of the Apes ''Rise of the Planet of the Apes'' is a 2011 American science fiction film directed by Rupert Wyatt from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. It is a reboot of the ''Planet of the Apes'' film franchise, which is based on the 1963 nov ...

'' (2011), ''Coriolanus'' (2011), '' RED 2'' (2013), ''

Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

'' (2017), and '' Remember Me'' (2019). Cox is a veteran of the London stage, having won two Olivier Awards for Best Actor for his performances in ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

'' for the Royal Shakespeare Company and '' Rat in the Skull'' for the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

, and two more Olivier Award nominations for ''

Misalliance ''Misalliance'' is a play written in 1909–1910 by George Bernard Shaw. The play takes place entirely on a single Saturday afternoon in the conservatory of a large country house in Hindhead, Surrey in Edwardian era England. It is a continuation ...

'' and ''Fashion''. His New York theatre credits include ''St. Nicholas'', which earned him the

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatre ...

as well as

Drama Desk The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fol ...

and Outer Critic's Circle nominations. Cox has written three books: ''Salem to Moscow: An Actor's Odyssey'', ''The Lear Diaries'', and his autobiography ''Putting the Rabbit in the Hat''. He was honoured at the 2004 BAFTA Scotland Awards with an Outstanding Achievement Award, and at the 2004 Great Scot Awards with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Empire Magazine awarded him the Empire Icon Award for his film achievements in 2006, and the

UK Film Council The UK Film Council (UKFC) was a non-departmental public body set up in 2000 to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee, owned by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and ...

named him one of the top 10 powerful British film stars in Hollywood in 2007.

Early life

Cox was born on 1 June 1946 in Dundee, Scotland as the youngest of five children. He is from a working-class Roman

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

family of Irish and Scottish descent. His mother, Mary Ann Guillerline (née McCann), was a spinner who worked in the jute mills and suffered several nervous breakdowns during Cox's childhood. His father, Charles McArdle Campbell Cox, was a police officer and later a shopkeeper, and died when Cox was eight years old. Cox was brought up by his three elder sisters, including Betty, with whom Cox has remained close. In Dundee, Cox attended St Mary's Forebank Primary School and St Michael's Junior Secondary School, which he left at the age of 15. After working at

Dundee Repertory Theatre Dundee Repertory Theatre, better known simply as the Dundee Rep, is a theatre and arts company in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It operates as both a producing house - staging at least six of its own productions each year, and a receiving house ...

for a few years, he began his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art at age 17, graduating in 1965.

Acting career

Theatre

1961–1979: Early work

Brian Cox began his acting career at age 14 at

in 1961 and then as one of the founding members of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, performing in its first show, ''The Servant O’ Twa Maisters'', in October 1965. From 1966, he worked at the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

for two years, where he played the title role in Peer Gynt (1967) and made his West End debut in June 1967 as

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

in '' As You Like It'' at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

1980s: Royal National Theatre

Cox is an accomplished

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

actor, spending seasons with both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1983, he portrayed the Duke of Burgundy opposite Laurence Olivier who played title role of ''

''. In 1984, he played the Royal Ulster Constabulary officer Inspector Nelson in the

's production of ''Rat in the Skull''. He was subsequently awarded that year's Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play. He made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in February 1985 as Edmund Darrell in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

's ''

Strange Interlude ''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...

'' at the

Nederlander Theatre The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, it was des ...

for which he received his first British Theatre Association Drama Award for Best Actor. In May that year, he made his off-Broadway debut, reprising his role as Inspector Nelson, in ''Rat in the Skull'' at the

Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American ...

. He received two additional Laurence Olivier nominations for ''

'' (1984) and for ''Fashion'' (1988). He won his second Laurence Olivier Award, this time as Best Actor in a Revival, for his performance as the title character in ''

'' (1988). Cox later said that he considers his performance in ''Titus Andronicus'' the greatest he has ever given on stage. His performance as Petruchio in ''

The Taming of The Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' (1987) also garnered positive reviews and won him another British Theatre Association Drama Award for Best Actor.

1990s: ''King Lear'' and ''St. Nicholas''

Cox returned from some years teaching and directing at the Moscow Arts Theatre School to tour with the Royal National Theatre worldwide, delivering a highly acclaimed performance as the title role in ''

'' (1990-1991). His account of the emotional and physical difficulties that came with playing King Lear's all-consuming role was detailed in ''The Lear Diaries'' (1995) which he authored. King Lear is one of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's most difficult roles, and Cox's portrayal broke new ground in the understanding of this most enigmatic figure. In 1995, he directed

Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London. The theatre Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary� ...

's chilling adaptation of '' Richard III'' which was well received by critics. During the same season, he also appeared in one of the theatre's productions, ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

'', as Professor Harold Hill. In 1997, he starred in

Conor McPherson Conor McPherson (born 6 August 1971) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, McPherson was awarded a doctorate of Literature, Honoris Causa, in June 2013 by the Un ...

's ''St. Nicholas'' at the Bush Theatre in London, and in 1998 returned to the off-Broadway stage reprising his role for

Primary Stages Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company. In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years at Davenport Theatre, 354 West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theat ...

, where he won a

and earned a

and an

Outer Critics Circle The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

nomination for his New York performance. In the same year, he played Marc in the

production of ''Art''.

2000–2019: Continued roles

In 2000, Cox reunited with award-winning playwright Conor McPherson on The Royal Court Theatre's production of ''

Dublin Carol ''Dublin Carol'' is a play by Conor McPherson, which premiered in London at the Royal Court Theatre in 2000. Plot John, a middle-aged employee of a funeral home in Dublin, returns from a funeral on Christmas Eve with Mark, a 20-year-old who has h ...

'' in which he starred as grim alcoholic undertaker John Plunkett. In 2004, he played the title character in '' Uncle Varick'' for the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. In 2005, he starred in ''The Ride Down Mt. Morgan in Los Angeles'' for the Los Angeles Theatre Works. From 2006 to 2007, he starred as Max at London's West End production of

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

’s '' Rock ‘n Roll'', a role he reprised on Broadway until 2008. In 2011, Cox appeared on

opposite in a revival of Jason Miller's ''

That Championship Season ''That Championship Season'' is a 1972 play by Jason Miller. It was the recipient of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play. Plot synopsis The setting is 1972 at the Coach's home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. O ...

''. His portrayal of Jack in ''

The Weir ''The Weir'' is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999. As well as several oth ...

'' at the Donmar Theatre in April 2013 is reprised at

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...

in January 2014. In Fall 2015, Cox starred in a new production of '' Waiting for Godot'', for Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh's 50th anniversary. In 2016, he became co-artistic director of

the Mirror Theater Ltd The Mirror Theater was founded by Sabra Jones in 1983, who was also the Founding Artistic Director. The first program of the theater was the Mirror Repertory Company (MRC). Founding members of the company included Eva Le Gallienne, John Stras ...

.Brian Cox & Brian Murphy to Talk Shakespeare at Mirror Repertory Company
, 7/26. BroadwayWorld, 24 July 2015. Web. 10 January 2017. Cox returned to the Broadway stage in 2019 to star as

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in Robert Shenkkan’s ''The Great Society'' at the

Vivian Beaumont Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont is the only Bro ...

. In 2020, he directed the UK premiere of

Joshua Sobol Joshua Sobol ( he, יהושע סובול; born 24 August 1939), is an Israeli playwright, writer, and theatre director. Biography Joshua Sobol was born in Tel Mond. His mother's family fled the pogroms in Europe in 1922 and his father's family imm ...

's ''Sinners'' — ''The English Professor''. Cox has also previously directed ''I Love My Life, Mrs. Warren's Profession, The Philanderer, The Master Builder, The Crucible,'' and ''Julius Caesar'' on stage.

Film and television

1965–1989: Early work

Cox made his first television appearance as Nelson in an episode of ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of fiction ...

'' in 1965 and made one-off appearances in ''Redcap'', ''ITV Playhouse'', and ''The Gamblers'' before taking a lead role in ''

The Year of the Sex Olympics ''The Year of the Sex Olympics'' is a 1968 television play made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 as part of ''Theatre 625''. It stars Leonard Rossiter, Tony Vogel, Suzanne Neve and Brian Cox, and was directed by Michael Elliott. The wr ...

'' in 1968. His first film appearance was as

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

in ''

Nicholas and Alexandra ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay written by James Goldman and Edward Bond, based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name, which is a partia ...

'' in 1971. In 1978 he played King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

in the acclaimed BBC2 drama serial ''

The Devil's Crown ''The Devil's Crown'' is a BBC television series which dramatised the reigns of three medieval Kings of England: Henry II and his sons Richard I and John. It is also known as ''La couronne du Diable'' in French. The series was written by Jack ...

'', then starred in many other television dramas. In 1986, he portrayed Hannibal Lecktor in ''Manhunter'', the character's first appearance on film.

1990–1999: Career breakthrough

In 1990, Cox portrayed Andrew Neil in ''Secret Weapon'' based on

Mordechai Vanunu Mordechai Vanunu ( he, מרדכי ואנונו; born 14 October 1952), also known as John Crossman, is an Israeli former nuclear technician and peace activist who, citing his opposition to weapons of mass destruction, revealed details of Israe ...

's life story. In the same year, he guest-starred as Father Amedy in the comedy series ''

Perfect Scoundrels ''Perfect Scoundrels'' is an early-1990s British television comedy-drama following two con-men's travels while conning various people. Produced by TVS Television for the ITV network, it ran for three series between 22 April 1990 and 30 May ...

'' and starred as police investigator Kerrigan in the political thriller ''Hidden Agenda''. In 1991, he played the role of Owen Benjamin, the closeted father of a gay man, in the BBC production of

David Leavitt David Leavitt (; born June 23, 1961) is an American novelist, short story writer, and biographer. Biography Leavitt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Harold and Gloria Leavitt. Harold was a professor who taught at Stanford University and G ...

's novel, '' The Lost Language of Cranes'', which is set in the 1980s. For his performance he was nominated as Best Actor at the 1993

BAFTA TV Awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

. He also played Geoffrey Harrison in the ITV thriller ''Red Fox'' based on

Gerald Seymour Gerald Seymour (born 25 November 1941 in Guildford, Surrey) is a British writer of crime and espionage novels. Early life Gerald Seymour was born to William Kean Seymour and his second wife, Rosalind Wade.The Cloning of Joanna May'' based on

Fay Weldon Fay Weldon CBE, FRSL (born Franklin Birkinshaw; 22 September 1931 – 4 January 2023) was an English author, essayist and playwright. Over the course of her 55-year writing career, she published 31 novels, including ''Puffball'' (1980), '' Th ...

's sci-fi novel. He also appeared as Stefan Szabo in the first episode of the fifth season of ''

Van der Valk ''Van der Valk'' is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by Nicolas Freeling and based on his novels about a dete ...

.'' He played the title role in the short film ''The Cutter'' and "The Director" in BBC's anthology series of classic and contemporary plays ''Performance''. He also starred as Carlton Heard in ''Deceptions'' and as Edward Hoyland in ''The Big Battalions'', a series about three religious families of differing faith. In 1993, he appeared as spymaster Major Hogan in two episodes of ''Sharpe'', and as Brother Shaw in ''

Sean's Show ''Sean's Show'' is a British television situation comedy, first broadcast on Channel 4 between 15 April 1992 and 29 December 1993. Stand-up comedian Sean Hughes co-wrote and starred as a fictionalised version of himself, aware that he is livi ...

''. He played P.O. Garvey in BBC's anthology series ''Scene'' featuring plays and documentaries originally broadcast for educational purposes. In the same year, he was seen in an episode of ''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

,'' where he portrayed Michael Steppings, a retired bookmaker whose daughter is in a permanent coma. In 1994, he appeared alongside

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...

as Angus Mcleague in ''

Iron Will ''Iron Will'' is a 1994 American adventure film. It is based on the true story of a 1917 dog-sled race from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Saint Paul, Minnesota, a 522-mile-long stretch and part of the "Red River-St. Paul Sports Carnival Derby." It is d ...

''. He portrayed Aethelwine alongside

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...

and Hellen Mirren in ''Royal Deceit'', an adaptation of the Danish legend of Prince Amleth. He also played the role of Colonel Grushko, 'a policeman who sees greed and rapacity in Russia's new mood', in '' Grushko'', a British-made crime drama set in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. He then starred in ''The Negotiator'' as Charlie King, a "street copper" who had a heart attack. He shot to superstardom in the mid-1990s thanks to roles in the likes of '' Rob Roy'' as Killearn and '' Braveheart'' as Argyle Wallace in 1995. His performance in the former earned him a

BAFTA Scotland Award The British Academy Scotland Awards are presented annually at an awards ceremony organised by BAFTA Scotland. History The annual British Academy Scotland Awards were launched in 2004 to recognise outstanding achievement by individuals working in ...

nomination for Best Actor. In 1996, he starred with Helen McRory as Judge Freisler in ''Witness Against Hitler'' which tells the true story of a Prussian intelligence officer and aristocrat who, with his fellow devout Christians, plotted to assassinate Hitler. In the same year he played Lyman Earl Collier, a murderous CEO in ''

Chain Reaction A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events. Chain reactions are one way that sys ...

.'' He also appeared with

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

in ''

The Glimmer Man ''The Glimmer Man'' is a 1996 American buddy-cop action comedy film directed by John Gray and produced by Steven Seagal. The film stars Seagal, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bob Gunton, and Brian Cox. The film was released in the United States on Octob ...

'' as the CIA superior Mr Smith, and with

Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...

in ''

'' as Nathan Waldman. Cox made a guest appearance in the 1997 '' Red Dwarf'' episode " Stoke Me a Clipper", as a medieval king in a virtual reality game. In the same year, he appeared alongside Morgan Freeman in the neo-noir psychological thriller ''Kiss the Girls'' based on

James Patterson James Brendan Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an American author. Among his works are the '' Alex Cross'', '' Michael Bennett'', '' Women's Murder Club'', '' Maximum Ride'', '' Daniel X'', '' NYPD Red'', '' Witch & Wizard'', and ''Private'' ...

's best-selling novel. He also played Nye Bevan in the drama '' Food for Ravens'' and ranking IRA member Joe Hamill in the Irish sports drama ''The Boxer'' alongside

Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English retired actor. Often described as one of the preeminent actors of his generation, he received numerous accolades throughout his career which spanned over four decades, incl ...

. In 1998, he appeared as police captain Jeremiah Cassidy in ''Desperate Measures'', Uncle Vladimir in the romantic comedy '' Merchants of Venus'', Clayton Blackstone in HBO's neo-noir film ''Poodle Springs'', and in the drama ''Family Brood''. In the same year he appeared alongside

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...

Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. His films are known for their eccentricity and unique visual and narrative styles. They often contain themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Cited by ...

's ''Rushmore'' as the school headmaster Dr. Nelson Guggenheim. The film is preserved by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

in 2016 due to its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. In 1999, he appeared opposite

Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...

as postal worker Doug Durwin in the thriller

The Minus Man ''The Minus Man'' is a 1999 thriller film starring Owen Wilson and Janeane Garofalo. It is based on the novel by Lew McCreary, and directed by Hampton Fancher, who also wrote the screenplay. The film centers on a serial killer whom Fancher desc ...

. He also played Sean Wallace in ''

The Corruptor ''The Corruptor'' is a 1999 American action film directed by James Foley, starring Chow Yun-fat and Mark Wahlberg. The film was released in the United States on March 12, 1999. Plot NYPD Lieutenant Nick Chen is head of the Asian Gang Unit. Hi ...

'' alongside

Chow Yun-Fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the five Hong Kong action heroic bloodshed films: '' A Better Tomorrow'', '' A ...

and

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

, and appeared as Gary Wheeler in the sports drama ''For Love of the Game''.

2000–2005: Franchise films

In 2000, Cox portrayed Lord Morton in ''Longitude'', a dramatisation of

Dava Sobel Dava Sobel (born June 15, 1947) is an American writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. Her books include ''Longitude'', about English clockmaker John Harrison, and '' Galileo's Daughter'', about Galileo's daughter Maria Celeste, and ...

's book. He starred as the title character in ''The Invention of Dr. Morel'', who invents a VR machine as a duplicate of the woman he loved. He also starred opposite Johnny Lee Miller as Inspector McDunn in ''Complicity'', and as Sidney McLoughlin in the romantic comedy '' Mad About Mambo''. He won an Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor for his portrayal of

in ''

''. He appeared in the Irish drama ''Saltwater'' as George Beneventi, a chip-shop-owning father troubled by loan sharks. In 2001, he played the fatherly police Captain O'Hagan in '' Super Troopers.'' In the same year, he received critical acclaim for his performance as the paedophile Big John Harrigan in

Michael Cuesta Michael Cuesta (born July 8, 1963) is an American film and television director, best known for his independent films, specially for having co-written and directed the 2001 film, ''L.I.E. (film), L.I.E.'' He has directed and produced television se ...

's '' L.I.E.,'' winning a

Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

for Best Actor in Motion Picture Drama, and receiving nominations for the

for Best Lead Actor and the

for Featured Male Actor of the Year. In '' Strictly Sinatra'', he played mob enforcer Chisolm who helps an aspiring musician passionate on Frank Sinatra. He also portrayed Baron de Breteuil in ''

The Affair of the Necklace ''The Affair of the Necklace'' is a 2001 American historical drama film directed by Charles Shyer. The screenplay by John Sweet is based on what became known as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, an incident that helped fuel the French populac ...

'' based on the diamond necklace incident that fuelled dissent against the French monarchy and led to the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

. In 2002, Cox appeared in ''

A Shot at Glory ''A Shot at Glory'' is a film by Michael Corrente produced in 1999 and released in 2002, starring Robert Duvall and the Scottish football player Ally McCoist. It had limited commercial and critical success. The film features the fictional Sco ...

'' as Rangers manager Martin Smith. He starred as Cyr in ''Bug'' in which a diverse group is propelled to a common fate by a series of cause-and-effect chain reactions. He played Jim Morris, Sr. in the sports drama ''The Rookie'', based on the true story of

Jim Morris James Samuel Morris Jr. (born January 19, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although brief, Morris' career is noted for making hi ...

. In the same year, he guest-starred as Harry Moon in two episodes of the critically acclaimed series ''

'' for which he would receive an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He then starred as corrupt

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

official Ward Abbott in the blockbuster film '' The Bourne Identity,'' opposite

Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Ameri ...

. He appeared as Michael O'Mara in ''The Biographer,'' and also starred as Richard Morgan in the supernatural horror thriller ''The Ring'', a remake of the 1998 Japanese film. It was one of the highest grossing horror remakes, paving the way for other English-version horror remakes. He played

Edward Norton Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations. Born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised ...

's father James Brogan in ''

,'' and also appeared in Spike Jonze's '' Adaptation'' as the real-life screenwriting teacher,

, giving advice to

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gui ...

in both his roles as Charlie Kaufman and Charlie's fictional twin brother, Donald. He shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination as part of the ensemble cast of the latter. In 2003, he played Tobias in ''The Reckoning'', a murder mystery drama set in the medieval period. He also played the villain

William Stryker The Reverend William Stryker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A minister and former sergeant with a strong hatred for mutants, he is usually depicted as an enemy of the X-Men. He is also the ...

in '' X2: X-Men United'' and Captain Oakes in the direct-to-video crime thriller ''Sin''. In 2004, Cox played an alternate, villainous version of King

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the ...

opposite Brad Pitt in ''

''. He also reprised his role as Ward Abbott in ''

The Bourne Supremacy ''The Bourne Supremacy'' is the second Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum, first published in 1986. It is the sequel to Ludlum's bestseller '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980) and precedes Ludlum's final Bourne novel, '' The Bourne Ultima ...

,'' the second instalment of the ''Bourne'' franchise. In the short film ''Get the Picture'', he played Harry Sondheim, a journalist who doubts the guilt of four suspected terrorists. He portrayed King Lear in episode 4 of season 6 of ''

French and Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is a ...

'', BBC's sketch comedy series as satire to popular culture. He was honoured at the 2004 BAFTA Scotland Awards with an Outstanding Achievement Award, and at the 2004 Great Scot Awards with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005, Cox starred as Robert Smith in ''Blue/Orange'', a BBC film adaptation of

Joe Penhall Joe Scott Penhall (born 1967) is an English-Australian playwright and screenwriter, best known for his award-winning stage play ''Blue/Orange'', the award-winning West End musical ''Sunny Afternoon'' and creating the Netflix original series '' ...

's play exploring race, mental illness, and modern British life. He played Alec Hewett, patriarch of the wealthy family in

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's psychological thriller ''

Match Point ''Match Point'' is a 2005 psychological thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, and Penelope Wilton. In the film, Rhys Meyers' charac ...

''. He also played

Rachel McAdams Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film ''Perfect Pie'' (200 ...

' father Joe Reisert in '' Red Eye''. In the biographical drama ''The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle'', he portrayed

Doyle Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with agglu ...

's mentor Dr. Joseph Bell. The television film explored how Doyle created

Holmes Holmes may refer to: Name * Holmes (surname) * Holmes (given name) * Baron Holmes, noble title created twice in the Peerage of Ireland * Chris Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond (born 1971), British former swimmer and life peer Places In the Uni ...

and how he applied Bell's techniques in his novels. In the sports comedy ''The Ringer'', he played Gary Barker who suggests to his nephew to enter and fix a Special Olympics to solve their financial woes.

2006–2010: Continued success

In 2006, Cox played Dr Hunt in ''A Woman in Winter'' which explores the nature of obsessive love. In ''The Flying Scotsman'', based on the life of Scottish amateur cyclist

Graeme Obree Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965), nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known ...

, he portrayed Douglas Baxter, a boatyard owner and minister who befriends the atheist cyclist. He appeared as Jack Langrishe in the HBO series '' Deadwood''. In

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

's ''The Outsiders'', he played Gabriel, the head of the spy agency. In the comedy drama ''Running with Scissors'', based on

Augusten Burroughs Augusten Xon Burroughs (born Christopher Richter Robison, October 23, 1965) is an American writer best known for his ''New York Times'' bestselling memoir '' Running with Scissors'' (2002). Early life Christopher Richter Robison was born in ...

' best-selling memoir about his childhood, he portrayed Dr Finch, the psychiatrist of Burrough's mother and patriarch of an eccentric family to whom Burrough was sent to live with. In 2007, Cox portrayed prominent US lawyer

Melvin Belli Melvin Mouron Belli (July 29, 1907 – July 9, 1996) was a prominent United States lawyer, writer, and actor known as "The King of Torts" and by insurance companies as "Melvin Bellicose". He had many celebrity clients, including Zsa Zsa Gab ...

in David Fincher's mystery thriller ''Zodiac'', based on

Robert Graysmith Robert Graysmith (born Robert Gray Smith; September 17, 1942) is an American true crime author and former cartoonist. He is known for his work on the Zodiac killer case. Career Graysmith worked as a political cartoonist for the ''San Francisc ...

's book which follows the manhunt for the

Zodiac Killer The Zodiac Killer is the pseudonym of an unidentified serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. The case has been described as the most famous unsolved murder case in American history. It became a fixture of popular c ...

. He also played old Angus in the fantasy drama ''The Water Horse'', Mr Kreeg in the anthology horror ''

Trick 'r Treat ''Trick 'r Treat'' is a 2007 American anthology horror comedy film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. It relates four Halloween horro ...

'', Daniel Tennant in '' Shoot on Sight'' based on

Operation Kratos Operation Kratos was a set of tactics developed by Greater London, London's Metropolitan Police Service for dealing with suspected suicide bombers, most notably firing shots to the head without warning. The tactics were developed shortly after th ...

, and Drosselmeyer in ''The Secret of the Nutcracker''. In 2008 Cox starred as Avery Ludlow in ''

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

'', and also played institutionalised convict Frank Perry, the protagonist in Rupert Wyatt's film, '' The Escapist'' (2008), appearing alongside

Joseph Fiennes Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (), known as Joseph Fiennes, is an English actor of film, stage, and television. Journalist Zoe Williams observed that "he seemed to be the go-to actor for English cultural history". Fiennes is particu ...

Dominic Cooper Dominic Edward Cooper (born 2 June 1978) is an English actor known for his portrayal of comic book characters Jesse Custer on the AMC show ''Preacher'' (2016–2019) and young Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with appearances ...

, and

Damian Lewis Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is an English actor, presenter and producer. He is best known for portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', which earned him a Golden Globe nomination ...

. For the latter, he won that year's BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Acting Performance. In 2009, he appeared as Lewis Serrocold in the ITV series ''Marple'' loosely based on Agatha Christie's books and short stories. He starred as Philip Van Doren in the Ridley Scott produced '' Tell-Tale'', a film based on the short story ''

The Tell Tale Heart "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is related by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of the narrator's sanity while simultaneously describing a murder the n ...

'' by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

. He starred as the legendary criminal godfather Ozzy in ''The Take'', and portrayed King Vesper Abaddon, the former king of Carmel in ''Kings'' loosely based on the biblical King David and set in a modern absolute monarchy. He also starred as the short-tempered bartender Jacques in the Icelandic film ''

The Good Heart ''The Good Heart'' is an Icelandic independent film written and directed by Dagur Kári, starring Brian Cox and Paul Dano. It debuted at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Plot Short-tempered bartender Jacques ( Brian Cox) has a h ...

'', and as Burt Macey in the crime drama ''Lost & Found''. He also appeared as Dennis in ''

The Day of the Triffids ''The Day of the Triffids'' is a 1951 post-apocalyptic novel by the English science fiction author John Wyndham. After most people in the world are blinded by an apparent meteor shower, an aggressive species of plant starts killing people. A ...

'' based on

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names ...

's best-selling

post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; ast ...

novel. In 2010, he played Reverend Kalahan, cult leader and pastor whose death is the backdrop of the story in the crime thriller ''As Good as Dead''. He portrayed former

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

Michael Martin in the television film '' On Expenses''. He also starred as Wally, an old rogue who fulfills his old friend's dying wish for a sea burial in the black comedy ''All at Sea''. In the same year, Cox played Laura Linney's father in the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series '' The Big C,'' and appeared as Ivan Simonov in ''

.''

2011–2017: Action films

In 2011, he starred as Captain Rudolph Sharp in ''

The Sinking of the Laconia ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', BBC Two's television film about the sinking of the British ocean liner

RMS Laconia Two different ocean liners of the Cunard Steamship Lines have been named RMS ''Laconia''. Although one was launched ten years after the other, and was the subject of a TV movie, they are easily confused; they had similar careers, looked the same, ...

during World War II. He co-starred with

Gerald Butler His Honour Gerald Norman Butler, QC (15 September 1930 – 28 February 2010) was an English judge, who was the senior judge at Southwark Crown Court. He was born in Hackney, London. Family Butler was the son of Joshua Butler and Esthe ...

and

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shak ...

as a quietly reasonable senator in ''Coriolanus'', a modern British film adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy. He portrayed Baron William d'Aubigny, a lordly wool merchant against King John's tyranny in ''Ironclad'', a war film set after the ratification of the Magna Carta. In the American thriller ''The Key Man'', he shared the screen with

Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts ...

as Irving, a sociopathic con man and a Shakespearian actor. He then starred in ''The Veteran'' as a British intelligence officer who recruits a war veteran to track a female contact infiltrating a group of suspected terrorists. He also starred as John Landon in the science-fiction film ''

.'' He appeared as Glover Boyd, the retired policeman father of the protagonist in the Canadian biographical drama '' Citizen Gangster''. In 2012, Cox appeared in the Australian drama ''

The Straits ''The Straits'' is an Australian television drama series for ABC1 filmed in Cairns, the Torres Strait Islands and other Far North Queensland locations. The series is based on an idea by actor Aaron Fa'aoso and produced by Penny Chapman and He ...

'' as the

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

of the Montebello family crime syndicate, Harry Montebello. He appeared as Raymond Huggins, an associate of two corrupt businessmen brothers, in the political satire film ''The Campaign'', and as Bill Ball in ''

A Touch of Cloth ''A Touch of Cloth'' is a British television comedy series created and written by Charlie Brooker and Daniel Maier, shown on Sky One. A parody of British police procedural dramas, it stars John Hannah as Jack Cloth, a police detective with per ...

'', a parody of British police procedural dramas. He starred in ''Blood'' as Lenny Fairburn, a retired cop and father of two fraternal detectives played by

Paul Bettany Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is mostly known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starring in the Disney+ miniseries '' WandaVision'' (2021), for which he was nominate ...

and Stephen Graham. He also appeared as an old man in the short film ''I Missed My Mother's Funeral''. In January 2013, Cox played the title character in the series '' Bob Servant''. He said he played Servant, the creation of

Dundonian Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mi ...

author

Neil Forsyth Neil Forsyth (born 1978) is a Scottish author, television writer and journalist. Early life Forsyth grew up in Dundee, Scotland where he attended the High School of Dundee and his first writing appeared in a Dundee United fanzine. He gradu ...

, based on memories of his late brother Charlie. He played Ivan Simanov in '' RED 2'', reprising his role from the 2010 original film. In ''Blumenthal'', he played the title role as the legendary playwright Harold Blumenthal who made a career out of parodying his family and died laughing at his own joke. He starred in ''Believe'' as the legendary Scottish football manager Sir Matt Busby who returns from retirement to coach a group of young working-class boys. He also starred in the psychological thriller ''Mindscape'' (original title ''Anna'') as Sebastian, a superior in top memory detective agency Mindscape, which employs psychics to assist in solving criminal cases. He portrayed FBI director

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation � ...

in ''The Curse of Edgar'', an original docudrama based on the best-selling novel by Marc Dugain about Hoover's battle to keep power away from the Kennedys. In November 2013, he starred in the BBC television docudrama, ''

An Adventure in Space and Time ''An Adventure in Space and Time'' is a 2013 British biographical television film, starring David Bradley, Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan. Directed by Terry McDonough, and written by regular ''Doctor Who'' writer Mark Gatiss, it p ...

'', about the creation of the British science-fiction series '' Doctor Who''. Cox portrayed Canadian television executive

Sydney Newman Sydney Cecil Newman (April 1, 1917 – October 30, 1997) was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. After his return to Canada in 1970, Newman w ...

, the driving force behind the creation of the iconic programme. He appeared in '' Tooned'', an animated cartoon about

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing, as an old mechanic, and as Magnus Bain in the crime drama series ''Shetland'' (2013-2014) which was initially based on

Ann Cleeves Ann Cleeves (born 1954) is a British mystery crime writer. She wrote the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn series, all three of which have been adapted into TV shows. In 2006 she won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her novel ''Rav ...

' novels. In 2014, Cox appeared in ''

The Anomaly ''The Anomaly'' is a 2014 British science fiction action thriller film co-written, directed by and starring Noel Clarke and also featuring Ian Somerhalder and Luke Hemsworth. The film was panned by critics. Plot Ex-soldier Ryan Reeve wakes ...

'' as Lloyd Langham, Ian Somerhalder's father in the sci-fi thriller, who conducted nightmarish experiments on the protagonist. He also appeared in the documentary ''The Great War: The People's Story'' as Reverend Andrew Clark, and in BBC's Cold War spy thriller series ''The Game'' as an

MI5 The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...

superior codenamed "Daddy". He also reprised his role in the second series of Bob Servant. In 2015, he starred in ''The Slap'', an American adaptation of the Australian series based on Christos Tsiolka's novel, as Manolis Apostolou, the father of the main character played by

Peter Sarsgaard John Peter Sarsgaard (; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. His first feature role was in '' Dead Man Walking'' in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films ''Another Day in Paradise'' and ''Desert Blue''. That same year, Sarsga ...

. He appeared in the sci-fi comedy ''Pixels'' as a military heavyweight starring alongside Adam Sandler, and in the Canadian revisionist western film ''Forsaken'' as a local gang leader. He also starred in the short film ''Killing Thyme'' as a grumpy old man with a squandered allotment and a death wish. In 2016, he starred in the British-Hungarian comedy ''The Carer'' as Sir Michael Gifford, an ageing Shakespearian actor, and in

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

's historical drama series adaptation of

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

's novel ''War & Peace'' as General Mikhail Kutuzov. He was nominated at the BAFTA Scotland Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal in the former. He also received a Career Achievement Award at the Stony Brook Film Festival for the same role. He appeared in season 3 of the horror drama series ''Penny Dreadful'' as Jared Talbot, a ruthless, powerful American rancher and the estranged father of

Josh Hartnett Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor and producer. He first came to attention in 1997 for his role as Michael Fitzgerald in the television crime drama series '' Cracker''. He made his feature film debut in 1998 in th ...

's character. He also appeared in the sci-fi thriller ''Morgan'' as Jim Bryce, and starred alongside

Emile Hirsch Emile Davenport Hirsch (born March 13, 1985) is an American actor. He played Chris McCandless in '' Into the Wild'' (2007). Other notable film roles include '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004), ''Lords of Dogtown'' (2005), ''Alpha Dog'' (2006), ''Spe ...

in ''

The Autopsy of Jane Doe ''The Autopsy of Jane Doe'' is a 2016 supernatural horror film directed by André Øvredal. It stars Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox as father-and-son coroners who experience supernatural phenomena while examining the body of an unidentified woman ( ...

'' as Tommy. In the first series of the Italian-British historical drama series ''Medici'', he portrayed Bernardo Guadagni, an officer of the Signoria. In 2017, he appeared as Marlon Brando in ''

Urban Myths ''Urban Myths'' is a British biographical comedy drama television series first aired on 19 January 2017 on the Sky Arts. Each episode featured a story surrounding popular culture which may or may not be true, ranging from Muhammad Ali talking ...

'', a biographical comedy drama series in which each episode features a story about popular culture icons. In June, Cox starred in the critically acclaimed historical war drama ''

'', playing the title role as

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

2018–present: ''Succession''

In April 2018, Cox reprised his role of Captain John O'Hagen in '' Super Troopers 2''. Early drafts of the script excluded Cox's character from the movie, with reservations on whether Cox would want to return or not for the sequel. It was later announced he would return, Cox himself joking that it was on the condition that he receive a "big action scene with rockets and explosions". In May, he starred in ''

The Etruscan Smile ''La sonrisa etrusca'' ("The Etruscan Smile") is a bestselling novel written by the Spanish economist and author José Luis Sampedro in 1985. Originally, it was written in Spanish. The story was inspired by the birth of the author's grandson. Plo ...

'' as Rory MacNeil, a dying man who reunites with his estranged son. He starred in the first season of ''Succession'', HBO's satirical drama which premiered in June to positive reviews, as Logan Roy, the patriarch of the dysfunctional Roy family and the billionaire founder of the global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. In November, he starred as Henry in

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-M ...

's drama ''The Pretenders''. In June 2019, he played William "Bill" Erwin in ''Strange But True'', a thriller adaptation of

John Searles John Searles is an American writer and book critic. He is the author of four novels: Her Last Affair (ISBN-10: 0060779659 ), ''Help For The Haunted'' (), ''Strange But True'' () and ''Boy Still Missing'' (). His essays have appeared in national m ...

' novel. In August, he starred as Shane in the romantic comedy ''Remember Me''. In the same month, the second season of ''Succession'' premiered in which Cox reprised his role, earning him the

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama is an award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). This Golden Globe Award honors the best performance by an actor in a drama television series. It ...

and a nomination for the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The series garnered critical acclaim receiving numerous awards and nominations, winning the

British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme The British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme, or BAFTA TV Award for Best International, is an award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, according to BAFTA the category is for "a single programme or ...

, the

Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama is one of the annual Golden Globe Awards, given to the best drama television series. Documentary series and mini-series are also eligible for this award. From 1962 to 1968, the category wa ...

, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. In the same year, he played Father Reilly in the comedy drama ''

The Last Right ''The Last Right'' is a 2019 comedy drama film written and directed by Aoife Crehan. The film premiered at the 2019 Cork International Film Festival. Plot On a journey from his home in New York to his mother's funeral in Clonakilty, County Cork, ...

''. In 2020, Cox starred as Gilles in the American neo-noir thriller ''

Last Moment of Clarity ''Last Moment of Clarity'' is a 2020 American neo-noir thriller film written and directed by James and Colin Krisel, in their directorial debuts. It stars Samara Weaving, Carly Chaikin, Zach Avery, and Brian Cox. The film was released on May 19, ...

''. In ''

The Bay of Silence ''The Bay of Silence'' is a 2020 internationally co-produced thriller film directed by Paula van der Oest from a screenplay by Caroline Goodall, based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Lisa St Aubin de Terán. It stars Claes Bang, Olga Kur ...

'', he played Milton Hunter, a powerful art dealer and stepfather to a celebrated artist. In 2021, he played Paul Rivers in the horror film ''Separation''. In July 2021, it was announced that Cox would join the cast of the family drama ''

Prisoner's Daughter Prisoner's Daughter is a 2022 drama film written by Mark Bacci and directed by Catherine Hardwicke, starring Kate Beckinsale and Brian Cox. The film premiered at the 2022 TIFF and received mixed reviews from critics. Plot The film centers on a ...

'' which tells the story of an ex-con trying to reconnect with his daughter and grandson''.'' The film was released at the

2022 Toronto International Film Festival The 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, the 47th event in the Toronto International Film Festival series, is scheduled to be held from September 8 to 18, 2022. Festival organizers have indicated that the 2022 festival will be staged primar ...

to mixed critical reviews, with Cox's performance praised as one of the highlights.

= Upcoming projects

= In November 2020, it was announced that Cox is joining the cast of the "audio movie series" ''Unsinkable'' told in 11 20-minute episodes based on the oil tanker

MV San Demetrio MV ''San Demetrio'' was a British motor tanker, notable for her service during the Second World War. She was built in 1938 for the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company. In 1940 she was damaged by enemy action in mid-Atlantic, abandoned by her crew ...

, set on fire by a German battleship in 1940; the crew was ordered to abandon ship, but reboarded the burning vessel two days later and with no charts or radio sailed her to Britain. He will also appear in the revenge thriller ''The Jesuit'' set in the backdrop of the Mexican underworld, in ''Wittgenstein's Poker'' as

Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, ...

, and in ''Skelly''. In August, he signed on to executive produce ''Mending the Line'' and star as a Vietnam veteran who teaches a young injured soldier how to fly fish hoping it would help him cope with his physical and emotional trauma. In September, it was announced that he will star in the political thriller ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' which centers on a young journalist who teams up with her idol (Cox) to uncover a major conspiracy.

Audio and voice work

Film and television

Cox narrated in the short film ''Zulu 9'' (2001), the short film ''The Legend of Loch Lomond'' (2001), the docudrama ''Smallpox'' (2002), and the short film ''The Martyr's Crown'' (2007). He provided live-action narration for the television miniseries ''

Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic ''Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic'' is a fantasy-comedy two-part television adaptation of the bestselling novels ''The Colour of Magic'' (1983) and ''The Light Fantastic'' (1986) by Terry Pratchett. The fantasy film was produced for Sky1 ...

'' (2008). He voiced Malcolm Young in ''Exit Humanity'' (2011) which follows a man's battle with the walking dead in post-Civil War America. In 2017, he narrated the multi award-winning short film ''Kubrick by Candlelight'' which takes place behind the scenes of Stanley Kubrick's film '' Barry Lyndon''. In 2018, he provided the opening narration for the horror film ''Dark Highlands''. In 2019, he was The Voice in a ''A Modern Magician'', a supernatural black comedy short film based on William Olaf Stapledon's story exploring mental health, morality, perception, and desire. He was the voice of the Ood Elder in part one of the '' Doctor Who'' Christmas special, " The End of Time" (2009), the narrator in the pseudo-scientific documentary ''

The Revelation of the Pyramids ''The Revelation of the Pyramids'' (french: La révélation des pyramides) is a pseudo-scientific documentary directed by Patrice Pooyard and released in 2010, then widely disseminated on the Internet from 2012 until 2023 when the film was pull ...

'', supporting antisemitic and negationnist

conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

(2010), Bob Servant in

's ''The Bob Servant Emails: Series 1'' (2012), The Mastermind in the action series '' M.I. High'' (2013), Alan Watts in the award-winning sci-fi romantic drama ''Her'' (2013), Chorus in

Arkangel Shakespeare ''The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare'' is a notable series of audio-drama presentations of 38 of William Shakespeare's 39 plays. Description ''The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare'' is a notable series of audio drama presentations of 38 of ...

's dramatised recording of Shakespeare's ''Henry V'' (2014), and Death in ''

Good Omens ''Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch'' is a 1990 novel written as a collaboration between the English authors Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. The book is a comedy about the birth of the son of Satan and the c ...

'' (2019). From 2020 to 2021, he voice-acted in the sci-fi series ''From Now'' as Hunter, the formerly identical brother of

Richard Madden Richard Madden (born 18 June 1986) is a Scottish actor. He was cast in his first role at age 11 and made his screen acting debut in 2000. He later began performing on stage whilst a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In 2007, he ...

's character. He voiced Augustus in Neil Gaiman's ''The Sandman: Act II'' (2021), the second instalment of

Audible Audible may refer to: * Audible (service), an online audiobook store * Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks * ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player * Audible finish or ru ...

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

best-selling original. He is set to star in '' Lawrence: After Arabia'', a retelling of the events that led to the enigmatic death of the famed

T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

Radio

His radio work include roles in multiple

...

Early life

Acting career

Theatre

1961–1979: Early work

1980s: Royal National Theatre

1990s: ''King Lear'' and ''St. Nicholas''

2000–2019: Continued roles

Film and television

1965–1989: Early work

1990–1999: Career breakthrough

2000–2005: Franchise films

2006–2010: Continued success

2011–2017: Action films

2018–present: ''Succession''

= Upcoming projects

Audio and voice work

Film and television

Radio

Books

Animation

Video games

Adverts

Filmmaking and soundtrack

Charity work

Bibliography

Personal life

Marriages and family

Politics

Honours and office

Filmography

Awards and honours

Theater

Film and television

State and Academic honours

References

External links