Daniel Ronald Cox (born July 23, 1938) is an American actor, singer and songwriter. His best-known roles include Drew Ballinger in ''

Deliverance ''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American survival thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The screenplay was adapt ...

'' (1972), George Apple in ''

Apple's Way ''Apple's Way'' is an American drama television series that aired on CBS from February 10, 1974, to January 12, 1975. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr. Premise The Apples of Los Angeles—architect George, his wife Barbara, their children Paul ...

'' (1974–75), Ozark Bule in '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), Colonel Kerby in '' Taps'' (1981), Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil in ''

Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...

'' (1984) and ''

Beverly Hills Cop II ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film ''Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second ins ...

'' (1987), Dick Jones in '' RoboCop'' (1987), Franklin Reed in ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States ...

'' (1986), Vilos Cohaagen in '' Total Recall'' (1990), The President in ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

'' (1990), Justin in '' Age of Dinosaurs'' (2013), Vice President Kinsey in several episodes of ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...

'' and Captain Edward Jellico in two episodes of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1992) as well as in an episode of Star Trek: Prodigy (2022). Cox is also active as a musician, performing over 100 times per year at festivals and theaters each year as of 2012.

Personal life

Cox, the third of five children, was born in the mountain town of

Cloudcroft, New Mexico Cloudcroft is a village in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, and is located within the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 674 at the 2010 census. Despite being located in an otherwise arid region, its high elevation (; one of ...

, the son of Lounette (née Rucker) and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in

Portales, New Mexico Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 12,280 at the 2010 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis, and Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the ...

. Cox met his wife Mary when she was in the fifth grade and he was in the seventh grade, and they married in 1960 and have two children. Cox graduated from

Eastern New Mexico University Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU or Eastern) is a public university with a main campus in Portales, New Mexico, and two associate degree-granting branches, one at Ruidoso and one at Roswell. ENMU is New Mexico's largest regional comprehensiv ...

in 1963 with a double major in theater and speech correction. Mary died in 2006, 50 years to the day of their first date. Cox often talks about her during his music performances.

Acting career

As an actor, Cox made his debut in the 1972 film, ''

''. In one scene, he plays the instrumental "

Dueling Banjos "Dueling Banjos" is a bluegrass composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1954 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos," which contained riffs from Smith, recorded in 1955 playing a four-string plec ...

" on his guitar with a banjo-playing mountain boy, played by child actor

Billy Redden Billy Redden (born 1956) is an American actor, best known for his role as a backwoods mountain boy in the 1972 film ''Deliverance''. He played Lonnie, a banjo-playing teenager in north Georgia, who played the noted "Dueling Banjos" with Drew Ballin ...

. He was hired for the role because he could play the guitar. Cox published his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

in 2012, recounting his experiences making the film. In 1974–1975, Cox starred in the short-lived family-oriented series entitled ''Apple's Way'', created by

Earl Hamner Earl Henry Hamner Jr. (July 10, 1923 – March 24, 2016) was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner), best known for his work in the 1970s and 1980s as the creator of two long-running series, ''The Waltons' ...

, creator of ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...

''. He also appeared as Mr. Webb in a television production of ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thro ...

''. In 1977, he appeared in the episode "Devil Pack" from the series ''

Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected ''Quinn Martins Tales of the Unexpected'' is an American horror and science fiction anthology television series produced by Quinn Martin, and hosted and narrated by William Conrad. It aired from February 2 to August 24, 1977.McNeil, Alex, ''Tot ...

''. In 1984, 12 years after ''Deliverance'', Cox again played a member of a small group of men who are lost, this time in the Nevada desert, and being chased by bloodthirsty locals in the low-budget film ''Courage''. One of Cox's roles was that of Dr. John Gideon during the final season of the television medical drama '' St. Elsewhere''. His character was mooned by Dr. Donald Westphall (

Ed Flanders Edward Paul Flanders (December 29, 1934 – February 22, 1995) was an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Donald Westphall in the medical drama series ''St. Elsewhere'' (1982–1988). Flanders was nominated for eight Primetime Emm ...

) at the end of the third episode of season six. Cox's first role in a big-budget film came in 1984 as Lt. Andrew Bogomil in ''

'', and he returned to the role in ''

'' in 1987. That same year, Cox appeared in the

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...

film '' RoboCop'' as corporate arch-villain Dick Jones. In 1986, Cox played the mayor in

season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...

, episodes 1 and 2, "Death Stalks the Big Top", of the TV series ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

''. In 1990, Cox co-starred as Los Angeles Police Chief Roger Kendrick in the short-lived ''

Cop Rock ''Cop Rock'' is an American police procedural musical television series created by Steven Bochco and William M. Finkelstein for the American Broadcasting Company. It premiered on September 26, 1990, and broadcast eleven episodes before concludin ...

'', presenting a striking physical resemblance to the real-world incumbent Chief

Daryl Gates Daryl Gates (born Darrel Francis Gates; August 30, 1926 – April 16, 2010) was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from 1978 to 1992. His length of tenure in this position was second only to that of William H. Parker. As Chief ...

. He also appeared as the antagonistic Mars Administrator Vilos Cohaagen in '' Total Recall'' the same year. Cox had a guest role on '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' as Captain Edward Jellico in the two-part episode "

Chain of Command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...

". He also played Henry Mason, the father of

Bree Van de Kamp Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. She is played by actress Marcia Cross, who has received multiple awards and nominations for her portrayal, including an Emmy Award nomination, ...

(

Marcia Cross Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an American actress. She acted in daytime soap operas such as ''The Edge of Night'', '' Another World'', and ''One Life to Live'' before moving to primetime television with a recurring role on ''Knots ...

) on ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

''. In 1997, Cox portrayed the fictional

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Jack Neil in the movie ''

Murder at 1600 ''Murder at 1600'' is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Dwight Little and starring Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane. Plot In a restroom in the White House, a janitor finds secretary Carla Town dead. Metropolitan Police homicide detect ...

''. Cox also portrayed John Ramsey in the 2000 TV film ''

Perfect Murder, Perfect Town ''Perfect Murder, Perfect Town'' is a 2000 American television miniseries directed by Lawrence Schiller. The teleplay by Tom Topor is based on Schiller's book of the same title. Including historic news and talk show footage, it covers in great de ...

'' and Senator/Vice President Robert Kinsey in ''

''. Cox had a role in '' The Starter Wife''. He played Pappy McCallister, the husband of Molly Kagan's best friend Joan. He occasionally has done animation work, lending his voice to the Tyrusian deserter Doc in ''

Invasion America ''Invasion America'' is a 1998 American animated science fiction series that aired in the prime time lineup on The WB. Produced by DreamWorks Television Animation (then part of DreamWorks proper, now owned by Universal Studios), the series was ...

'' and Senator McMillan in ''

Todd McFarlane's Spawn ''Todd McFarlane's Spawn'', also known as ''Spawn: The Animated Series'' or simply ''Spawn'' is an American adult animated superhero television series that aired on HBO from 1997 through 1999 and reran on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming b ...

''. Cox guest-starred in an episode of

Matthew Perry Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is an American-Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004). As well as starring in the short-lived television series '' St ...

's 2011 series '' Mr. Sunshine''. Cox played Walter Kenney in '' Dexter'', season six, episode three ("Smokey and the Bandit"). His character was a serial killer known as “The Tooth Fairy” whom Dexter had idolized while growing up. He guest-starred in an episode of ''

Diagnosis Murder ''Diagnosis: Murder'' is an American action-comedy-mystery-medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective played by Van Dyk ...

'' entitled "The Pressure to Murder", episode 9, season three. Cox played Gideon Claybourne on season 6 of ''

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

'' in 2018.

Music career

Despite having a successful acting career, Cox said that music now comes first in his life. He turns down about 90% of the acting jobs he is offered to play over 100 shows at festivals and theaters each year. He is accompanied by his band. Cox also leads a musical tour to Ireland each year. On November 2, 2019, Cox was inducted into the New Mexico Music Hall of Fame. On July 25, 2021, Cox won the New Mexico Music Awards with the Norman Petty Producers Award going to Tom (Panda) Ryan for his recording of Ronny Cox's ''Live at the Kitchen Sink'' featuring the 2021 Best Folk Music Award with his song, "Portales". ''Live at the Kitchen Sink'' was recorded at The Kitchen Sink Recording Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Filmography

* 1972 ''

'' as Drew Ballinger * 1972 '' The Mind Snatchers'' as Sergeant Boford Miles * 1972 ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', episode "New Man" as Lucas * 1974 ''

A Case of Rape ''A Case of Rape'' is a 1974 American made-for-television drama film starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Ronny Cox. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her o ...

'' as David Harrod * 1975 ''

Who Is the Black Dahlia? ''Who Is the Black Dahlia?'' is a 1975 television film about the true crime unsolved murder of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short. ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'' gives the film an Above Average rating, and states "… this atmospheric crime drama is i ...

'' as Sergeant Finis Brown * 1976 '' Bound for Glory'' as Ozark Bule * 1977 ''

'', episode "Devil Pack" (TV) as Jerry Colby * 1977 ''

The Car ''The Car'' is a 1977 American horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack and Lane Slate. The film stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley and Ronny Cox, along with real-life sisters Kim ...

'' as Deputy Luke Johnson * 1977 ''

The Girl Called Hatter Fox ''The Girl Called Hatter Fox'' is a 1977 American TV movie starring Ronny Cox and directed by George Schaefer (director), George Schaefer. It was the first film produced by EMI Television (they released ''The Amazing Howard Hughes'', but bought th ...

'' (TV) as Dr. Teague Summer * 1978 ''

Gray Lady Down ''Gray Lady Down'' is a 1978 American submarine disaster film directed by David Greene and starring Charlton Heston, David Carradine, Stacy Keach, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox and Rosemary Forsyth, and includes the feature film debut of Christophe ...

'' as Commander David Samuelson * 1978 ''

Harper Valley PTA "Harper Valley P.T.A." is a country song written by Tom T. Hall which in 1968 became a major international hit single for country singer Jeannie C. Riley. Riley's record, her debut, sold over six million copies as a single, and it made her the f ...

'' as Willis Newton * 1979 '' The Onion Field'' as Sergeant Pierce R. Brooks * 1980 ''

The Courage of Kavik the Wolf Dog ''The Courage of Kavik the Wolf Dog'', also known as 'Kavik the Wolf Dog', is a 1980 made-for TV adventure film based on the novel Kävik the Wolf Dog. Plot Kavik, a champion sled dog, who has just won a race in Alaska, is sold for $4000 to Geor ...

'' as Kurt Evans * 1980 '' Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story'' (TV) as Bernard Coy * 1981 '' Taps'' as Colonel Kerby * 1981 ''

Fallen Angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said R ...

'' (TV film) as Frank Dawson * 1982 ''

The Beast Within ''The Beast Within'' is a 1982 American horror film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch, Paul Clemens, L. Q. Jones, Don Gordon, R. G. Armstrong, Logan Ramsey, Katherine Moffat, and Meshach Taylor. ''The Beast With ...

'' as Eli MacCleary * 1982 ''

Tangiers Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...

'' as Colonel Powers * 1982 '' Two of a Kind'' as Ted Hahn * 1982 ''

Some Kind of Hero ''Some Kind of Hero'' is a 1982 American comedy-drama film starring Richard Pryor as a returning Vietnam War veteran having trouble adjusting to civilian life. Soon he is involved in an organized crime heist. It co-stars Margot Kidder and was dir ...

'' as Colonel Powers * 1984 ''

The Jesse Owens Story ''The Jesse Owens Story'' is a 1984 American two-part, four-hour made-for-television biographical film about the black athlete Jesse Owens. Dorian Harewood plays the Olympic gold-winning athlete. The drama won a 1985 Primetime Emmy Award and was ...

'' (TV) as Coach Larry Snyder * 1984 ''

'' as Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil * 1984 ''Raw Courage'' (also writer and producer) as Pete Canfield * 1984-1985 '' Spencer'' as George Winger * 1985 ''

Vision Quest A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. It is usually only undertaken by young males entering adulthood. Individual Indigenous cultures have their own names for their rites of passage. "Vision quest" is an English ...

'' as Louden's Dad * 1985 ''Tangiers'' as Bob Steele * 1986 '' Hollywood Vice Squad'' as Captain Jensen * 1987 ''

Steele Justice ''Steele Justice'' is a 1987 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starring Martin Kove, Sela Ward, and Bernie Casey. Taglines "When the police needed someone to stop the Vietnamese Mafia, there was only one choice..." "You don't recru ...

'' as Bennett * 1987 ''

'' as Captain / Chief Andrew Bogomil * 1987 '' RoboCop'' as Dick Jones * 1987-1988 '' St. Elsewhere'' as Dr. John Gideon * 1987 ''

Amazon Women on the Moon ''Amazon Women on the Moon'' is a 1987 American satirical science fiction film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget films on late-night television. The film, featuring a large ensemble cast including cameo appearances from film and ...

'' as General Balentine (segment "The Unknown Soldier") (uncredited) * 1988 '' In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders'' as FBI Special Agent

Ben Grogan The 1986 FBI Miami shootout occurred on April 11, 1986, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S. (the specific area was incorporated as Pinecrest, Florida, Pinecrest in 1996), when a small group of field agents for the FBI attempted to apprehend Willi ...

* 1989 ''One Man Force'' as McCoy * 1989 '' Martians Go Home'' as The President * 1990 '' Loose Cannons'' as Bob Smiley * 1990 '' Total Recall'' as Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen * 1990 ''

'' as President Tom Kimball * 1990 ''

'' as Chief Roger Kendrick * 1991 ''

Scissors Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutti ...

'' as Dr. Stephan Carter * 1992 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (two episodes) as Captain Edward Jellico * 1992 '' Perry Mason: The case of the heartbroken bride'' Mr Parrish * 1997 ''

'' as President Jack Neil * 1998-2005 ''

'' (11 episodes) as Senator Robert Kinsey / Vice President Robert Kinsey * 1998 '' Puraido: Unmei no Toki'' as Chief Justice Sir William Webb * 1998 '' Frog and Wombat'' as Principal Larry Struble * 1999 '' Forces of Nature'' as Hadley * 1999 '' The Outer Limits'', episode "

Deja Vu Deja or Dejah may refer to: * Deja News, an archive of messages posted to Usenet discussion groups and its successor ''deja.com'' * Andreas Deja (born 1957), German animator * Dejah Mulipola (born 1998), American softball player * Dejah Thoris, a ...

" as Lieutenant Colonel Lester Glade * 1999 '' Deep Blue Sea'' as Franklin's Boss (uncredited) * 1999 ''

FreeSpace 2 ''FreeSpace 2'' is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition as the sequel to '' Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War''. It was completed ahead of schedule in less than a year, and released to very positive reviews, but ...

'' as Admiral Aken Bosch (voice) * 2000 ''

'' as John Ramsey * 2001 '' The Agency'' (2001) as Director Alex Pierce III * 2001 ''The Boys of Sunset Ridge'' as Ben Thorpe * 2001 ''

American Outlaws ''American Outlaws'' is a 2001 American Western alternate history film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, and Ali Larter. Plot Confederate guerillas attempt to raid the Union Army late in the American Civil War. ...

'' as Doc Mimms, Zee's Dad * 2001 ''Losing Grace'' as Dave Reed * 2002 '' Crazy As Hell'' as Delazo * 2004 ''

Killzone ''Killzone'' is a series of first-person shooter video games for Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) video game consoles. The main series and the PlayStation Portable (PSP) installment were developed by Guerrilla Games, a subsidiary of SI ...

'' (Video Game) as Stuart Adams (voice) * 2004 ''Angel in the Family'' as Buddy * 2005 ''

The L.A. Riot Spectacular ''The L.A. Riot Spectacular'' is a 2005 satire film about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Written and directed by music video director Marc Klasfeld (in his feature film directorial debut), the film stars Snoop Dogg, Charles Dutton, Emilio Estevez an ...

'' as The Chief * 2006 ''

'' (TV Series) as Henry Mason * 2006 '' Commander in Chief'' as Senator Joe Peck * 2007 '' Tell Me You Love Me'' as John * 2008 ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' as Daniel Patterson '08 * 2009 '' Imagine That'' as Tom Stevens * 2011 '' Dexter'' as Walter Kenney * 2013 '' Age of Dinosaurs'' as Justin * 2014 ''

Beyond the Reach ''Beyond the Reach'' is a 2014 American thriller film directed by Jean-Baptiste Léonetti and written by Stephen Susco. It is based on the 1972 novel '' Deathwatch'' by Robb White and stars Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine, Hanna Mangan-Lawrence, ...

'' as Sheriff Robb * 2018 ''

'' as Gideon Claybourne * 2019 ''The Car: Road to Revenge'' as The Mechanic * 2021 '' Being the Ricardos'' as Older Bob Carroll * 2022 '' Star Trek Prodigy'' as Admiral Edward Jellico (voice)

Discography

Books

* Cox, Ronny. ''Dueling Banjos: The Deliverance of Drew''. Decent Hill, 2012. (paperback); 9781936085590 (hardcover); 9781936085606 (eBook)

References

External links

* *
Ronny Cox Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Ronny 1938 births Living people Male actors from New Mexico American male film actors American male television actors Eastern New Mexico University alumni People from Portales, New Mexico American male singer-songwriters Guitarists from New Mexico American male writers People from Otero County, New Mexico 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Songwriters from New Mexico 20th-century American guitarists American male guitarists American country singer-songwriters 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singers 21st-century American male singers