Brian Cox | |
|---|---|
 Cox at The Edinburgh International Book Festival, August 2025 | |
| Born | Brian Denis Cox (1946-06-01)1 June 1946 (age 79) Dundee, Scotland |
| Education | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Political party | |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingAlan |
| Awards | Full list |
Brian Denis Cox (born 1 June 1946) is a Scottish actor. A classically trainedShakespearean actor, he is known forhis work on stage and screen. Hisnumerous accolades include twoLaurence Olivier Awards, aPrimetime Emmy Award, and aGolden Globe Award as well as two nominations for aBritish Academy Television Award. In2003, he was appointed to theOrder of the British Empire at the rank of Commander.
Cox trained at theDundee Repertory Theatre before becoming a founding member ofRoyal Lyceum Theatre. He went on to train as a Shakespearean actor, starring in numerous productions with theRoyal National Theatre and theRoyal Shakespeare Company, where he gained recognition for his portrayal ofKing Lear. Cox received twoLaurence Olivier Awards for Best Actor for his roles inRat in the Skull (1984), forRoyal Court andTitus Andronicus (1988). He received two more Olivier Award nominations forMisalliance (1986) andFashion (1988).
Known as acharacter actor in film, Cox playedRobert McKee inSpike Jonze'sAdaptation (2002) andWilliam Stryker inX2 (2003). For his starring role inL.I.E. (2001), he received anIndependent Spirit Award nomination. His other notable films includeManhunter (1986),Iron Will (1994),Braveheart (1995),The Boxer (1997),The Rookie (2002),Troy (2004),Match Point (2005),Coriolanus (2011),Pixels (2015) andChurchill (2017).
Cox won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his portrayal ofHermann Göring in the television filmNuremberg (2001). The following year he guest starred on theNBC sitcomFrasier earning hissecond Emmy nomination in 2002. He portrayedJack Langrishe in theHBO seriesDeadwood. He starred asLogan Roy on the HBO seriesSuccession (2018–2023), for which he won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and was nominated for threePrimetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
Cox was born on 1 June 1946[1] in Dundee, Scotland, the youngest of five children.[2][3] He is from a working-classRoman Catholic family of Irish and Scottish descent.[4][5] His mother, Mary Ann Guillerline (née McCann), was a spinner who worked in thejute mills and suffered severalnervous breakdowns during Cox's childhood.[2] His father, Charles McArdle Campbell Cox, was a police officer and later a shopkeeper, and died ofpancreatic cancer when Cox was eight years old.[2][6] Cox was brought up by his three elder sisters, including Betty, with whom Cox has remained close.[7]
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 atDundee Repertory Theatre for a few years, he began his training at theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art at age 17, graduating in 1965.[8]
Brian Cox began his acting career at age 14 atDundee Repertory Theatre in 1961 and then as one of the founding members of theRoyal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, performing in its first show,The Servant O' Twa Maisters, in October 1965.[9] From 1966, he worked at theBirmingham Repertory Theatre for two years, where he played the title role inPeer Gynt (1967) and made hisWest End debut in June 1967 asOrlando inAs You Like It at theVaudeville Theatre.[10]
Cox is an accomplishedShakespearean actor, spending seasons with both theRoyal Shakespeare Company and theRoyal National Theatre in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1983, he portrayed the Duke of Burgundy inKing Lear oppositeLaurence Olivier in the title role. In 1984, he played theRoyal Ulster Constabulary officer Inspector Nelson in theRoyal Court's production ofRat in the Skull. He was subsequently awarded that year'sLaurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play.[11]
He made hisBroadway debut in February 1985 as Edmund Darrell inEugene O'Neill'sStrange Interlude at theNederlander Theatre for which he received his first British Theatre Association Drama Award for Best Actor.[12] In May that year, he made hisoff-Broadway debut, reprising his role as Inspector Nelson, inRat in the Skull at thePublic Theater.[13] He received two additionalLaurence Olivier nominations forMisalliance (1984) and forFashion (1988).[12]
He won his secondLaurence Olivier Award, this time as Best Actor in a Revival, for his performance as the title character inTitus Andronicus (1988). Cox later said that he considers his performance inTitus Andronicus the greatest he has ever given on stage.[14] His performance as Petruchio inThe Taming of The Shrew (1987) also garnered positive reviews and won him another British Theatre Association Drama Award for Best Actor.[15][12]
Cox returned from some years teaching and directing at theMoscow Arts Theatre School to tour with theRoyal National Theatre worldwide, delivering a highly acclaimed performance as the title role inKing Lear (1990–1991).[9][16] His account of the emotional and physical difficulties that came with playing King Lear's all-consuming role was detailed inThe Lear Diaries (1995) which he authored. King Lear is one ofShakespeare's most difficult roles, and Cox's portrayal broke new ground in the understanding of this most enigmatic figure.[17]
In 1995, he directedOpen Air Theatre's chilling adaptation ofRichard III which was well received by critics. During the same season, he also appeared in one of the theatre's productions,The Music Man, as Professor Harold Hill.[18][19]
In 1997, he starred inConor McPherson'sSt. Nicholas at the Bush Theatre in London, and in 1998 returned to theoff-Broadway stage reprising his role forPrimary Stages, where he won aLucille Lortel Award and earned aDrama Desk and anOuter Critics Circle nomination for his New York performance.[20][12] In the same year, he played Marc in theBroadway production ofArt.[13]
In 2000, Cox reunited with award-winning playwright Conor McPherson onThe Royal Court Theatre's production ofDublin Carol in which he starred as grim alcoholic undertaker John Plunkett. In 2004, he played the title character inUncle Varick for the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. In 2005, he starred inThe Ride Down Mt. Morgan in Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Theatre Works.[19]
From 2006 to 2007, he starred as Max at London's West End production ofTom Stoppard'sRock 'n Roll, a role he reprised on Broadway until 2008.[12][20] In 2011, Cox appeared onBroadway opposite in a revival ofJason Miller'sThat Championship Season.[21] His portrayal of Jack inThe Weir atthe Donmar Theatre in April 2013 is reprised atWyndham's Theatre in January 2014.[22] In Fall 2015, Cox starred in a new production ofWaiting for Godot, for Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh's 50th anniversary.[12] In 2016, he became co-artistic director ofthe Mirror Theater Ltd.[23] Cox returned to the Broadway stage in 2019 to star asLyndon B. Johnson inRobert Schenkkan'sThe Great Society at theVivian Beaumont Theater.[13] In 2020, he directed the UK premiere ofJoshua Sobol'sSinners —The English Professor.[24] Cox has also previously directedI Love My Life, Mrs. Warren's Profession, The Philanderer, The Master Builder, The Crucible, andJulius Caesar on stage.[12][24]
Cox made his first television appearance as Nelson in an episode ofThe Wednesday Play in 1965. He made one-off appearances inRedcap,ITV Playhouse andThe Gamblers, before taking a lead role inThe Year of the Sex Olympics in 1968. His first film appearance was asLeon Trotsky inNicholas and Alexandra in 1971.[13] In 1978 he played KingHenry II of England in the acclaimedBBC2 drama serialThe Devil's Crown, then starred in many other television dramas. He played the lead role inDalhousie's Luck, a drama byFulton Mackay set at the time of thesiege of Aberdeen by theMarquess of Montrose in 1644 and broadcast as part of the BBC'sPlay for Today series on 3 August 1980.[25][better source needed] In the same year, he appeared in the ITV serialHammer House of Horror as an ex-convict alongside veteran actorPeter Cushing.[citation needed] In 1981, he starred oppositeKate Nelligan andAlan Rickman in the BBC adaptation of Zola's novelThérèse Raquin as Laurent LeClaire.
In 1986, he portrayedHannibal Lecter inManhunter, the character's first appearance on film.[26]
In 1990, Cox portrayedAndrew Neil inSecret Weapon, based onMordechai Vanunu's life story. In the same year, he guest-starred as Father Amedy in the comedy seriesPerfect Scoundrels and starred as police investigator Kerrigan in the political thrillerHidden Agenda.[27] In 1991, he played the role of Owen Benjamin, the closeted father of a gay man, in the BBC production ofDavid Leavitt's novel,The Lost Language of Cranes, which is set in the 1980s.[28] For his performance he was nominated as Best Actor at the 1993BAFTA TV Awards.[29] He also played Geoffrey Harrison in the ITV thrillerRed Fox based onGerald Seymour's international best-seller.[30] In 1992, he appeared in another ITV adaptation as Carl May inThe Cloning of Joanna May based onFay Weldon's sci-fi novel.[31] He also appeared as Stefan Szabo in the first episode of the fifth season ofVan der Valk. He played the title role in the short filmThe Cutter and "The Director" in BBC's anthology series of classic and contemporary playsPerformance.[32] He also starred as Carlton Heard inDeceptions and as Edward Hoyland inThe Big Battalions, a series about three religious families of differing faith.[33]
In 1993, he appeared as spymaster Major Hogan in two episodes ofSharpe, and as Brother Shaw inSean's Show.[34] He played P.O. Garvey in BBC's anthology seriesScene featuring plays and documentaries originally broadcast for educational purposes. In the same year, he was seen in an episode ofInspector Morse, where he portrayed Michael Steppings, a retired bookmaker whose daughter is in a permanent coma.[35] In 1994, he appeared alongsideKevin Spacey as Angus Mcleague inIron Will.[36] He portrayed Aethelwine alongsideChristian Bale andHelen Mirren inRoyal Deceit, an adaptation of the Danish legend ofPrince Amleth.[37] He also played the role of Colonel Grushko, 'a policeman who sees greed and rapacity in Russia's new mood', inGrushko, a British-made crime drama set inRussia.[38] He then starred inThe 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 ofRob Roy as Killearn andBraveheart as Argyle Wallace in 1995.[13][39] His performance in the former earned him aBAFTA Scotland Award nomination for Best Actor.[40] In 1996, he starred withHelen McRory as Judge Freisler inWitness Against Hitler which tells the true story of a Prussian intelligence officer and aristocrat who, with his fellow devout Christians, plotted to assassinate Hitler.[41] In the same year he played Lyman Earl Collier, a murderous CEO inChain Reaction.[42] He also appeared withSteven Seagal inThe Glimmer Man as the CIA superior Mr Smith, and withSamuel L. Jackson inThe Long Kiss Goodnight as Nathan Waldman.[43][44]
Cox made a guest appearance in the 1997Red Dwarf episode "Stoke Me a Clipper", as a medieval king in a virtual reality game.[45] In the same year, he appeared alongsideMorgan Freeman in the neo-noir psychological thrillerKiss the Girls based onJames Patterson's best-selling novel.[46] He also played Nye Bevan in the dramaFood for Ravens and ranking IRA member Joe Hamill in the Irish sports dramaThe Boxer alongsideDaniel Day-Lewis.[47] In 1998, he appeared as police captain Jeremiah Cassidy inDesperate Measures, Uncle Vladimir in the romantic comedyMerchants of Venus, Clayton Blackstone in HBO's neo-noir filmPoodle Springs, and in the dramaFamily Brood.[48][49]
That same year he appeared alongsideBill Murray inWes Anderson'sRushmore as the school headmaster Dr. Nelson Guggenheim.[50] The film is preserved by theLibrary of Congress in 2016 due to its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.[51] In 1999, he appeared oppositeOwen Wilson as postal worker Doug Durwin in the thrillerThe Minus Man.[52] He also played Sean Wallace inThe Corruptor alongsideChow Yun-Fat andMark Wahlberg, and appeared as Gary Wheeler in the sports dramaFor Love of the Game.[53][54] His New York theatre credits includeSt. Nicholas (1999), which earned him aDrama Desk Award nomination.[12]
In 2000, Cox portrayedLord Morton inLongitude, a dramatisation ofDava Sobel's book. He starred as the title character inThe Invention of Dr. Morel, who invents aVR machine as a duplicate of the woman he loved. He also starred oppositeJonny Lee Miller as Inspector McDunn inComplicity, and as Sidney McLoughlin in the romantic comedyMad About Mambo. He won anEmmy Award asBest Supporting Actor and was nominated for aGolden Globe Award asBest Actor for his portrayal ofHermann Göring inNuremberg.[55][56] He appeared in the Irish dramaSaltwater as George Beneventi, a chip-shop-owning father troubled by loan sharks.
In 2001, he played the fatherly police Captain O'Hagan inSuper Troopers. In the same year, he received critical acclaim for his performance as the paedophile Big John Harrigan inMichael Cuesta'sL.I.E., winning aSatellite Award for Best Actor in Motion Picture Drama, and receiving nominations for theIndependent Spirit Award forBest Lead Actor and theAFI Award for Featured Male Actor of the Year.[57][58][59][60] InStrictly Sinatra, he played mob enforcer Chisolm who helps an aspiring musician passionate onFrank Sinatra. He also portrayedBaron de Breteuil inThe Affair of the Necklace based on the diamond necklace incident that fuelled dissent against the French monarchy and led to theFrench Revolution.
In 2002, Cox appeared inA Shot at Glory as Rangers manager Martin Smith. He starred as Cyr inBug 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 dramaThe Rookie, based on the true story ofJim Morris. In the same year, he guest-starred as Harry Moon in two episodes of the critically acclaimed seriesFrasier, for which he would receive an Emmy nomination asOutstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.[61] He then starred as corruptCIA official Ward Abbott in the blockbuster filmThe Bourne Identity, oppositeMatt Damon. He appeared as Michael O'Mara inThe Biographer, and also starred as Richard Morgan in the supernatural horror thrillerThe 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 playedEdward Norton's father James Brogan in25th Hour, and also appeared inSpike Jonze'sAdaptation as the real-life screenwriting teacher,Robert McKee, giving advice toNicolas Cage in both his roles as Charlie Kaufman and Charlie's fictional twin brother, Donald. He shared aScreen Actors Guild Award nomination as part of the ensemble cast of the latter.[62]
In 2003, he played the villainWilliam Stryker inX2: X-Men United and Captain Oakes in the direct-to-video crime thrillerSin. In 2004, he played Tobias inThe Reckoning, a murder mystery drama set in the medieval period. Also in 2004, Cox played an alternate, villainous version of KingAgamemnon oppositeBrad Pitt inTroy. He also reprised his role as Ward Abbott inThe Bourne Supremacy, the second instalment of theBourne franchise. In the short filmGet 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 ofFrench and Saunders, 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.[63][64]
In 2005, Cox starred as Robert Smith inBlue/Orange, a BBC film adaptation ofJoe Penhall's play exploring race, mental illness, and modern British life. He played Alec Hewett, patriarch of the wealthy family inWoody Allen's psychological thrillerMatch Point. He also playedRachel McAdams' father Joe Reisert inRed Eye. In the biographical dramaThe Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle, he portrayedDoyle's mentorDr. Joseph Bell. The television film explored how Doyle createdHolmes and how he applied Bell's techniques in his novels. In the sports comedyThe Ringer, he played Gary Barker who suggests to his nephew to enter and fix a Special Olympics to solve their financial woes.[citation needed]
In 2006, Cox played Dr Hunt inA Woman in Winter which explores the nature of obsessive love. InThe Flying Scotsman, based on the life of Scottish amateur cyclistGraeme Obree, he portrayed Douglas Baxter, a boatyard owner and minister who befriends the atheist cyclist. He appeared as Jack Langrishe in theHBO seriesDeadwood. InITV'sThe Outsiders, he played Gabriel, the head of the spy agency. In the comedy dramaRunning with Scissors, based onAugusten Burroughs' best-selling memoir about his childhood, he portrayed Dr Finch, the psychiatrist of Burroughs's mother and patriarch of an eccentric family with whom Burrough was sent to live.
In 2007, Cox portrayed prominent US lawyerMelvin Belli inDavid Fincher's mystery thrillerZodiac, based onRobert Graysmith's book which follows the manhunt for theZodiac Killer. He also played old Angus in the fantasy dramaThe Water Horse, Mr Kreeg in the anthology horrorTrick 'r Treat, Daniel Tennant inShoot on Sight based onOperation Kratos, and Drosselmeyer inThe Secret of the Nutcracker.
In 2008 Cox starred as Avery Ludlow inRed, and also played institutionalised convict Frank Perry, the protagonist inRupert Wyatt's film,The Escapist (2008), appearing alongsideJoseph Fiennes,Dominic Cooper, andDamian Lewis.[65] For the latter, he won that year's BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Acting Performance.[66] In 2009, he appeared as Lewis Serrocold in the ITV seriesMarple, loosely based on Agatha Christie's books and short stories. He starred as Philip Van Doren in theRidley Scott producedTell-Tale, a film based on the short storyThe Tell Tale Heart byEdgar Allan Poe.[67] He starred as the legendary criminal godfather Ozzy inThe Take, and portrayed King Vesper Abaddon, the former king of Carmel inKings, loosely based on the biblicalKing David and set in a modern absolute monarchy. He also starred as the short-tempered bartender Jacques in the Icelandic filmThe Good Heart, and as Burt Macey in the crime dramaLost & Found. He also appeared as Dennis inThe Day of the Triffids, based onJohn Wyndham's best-sellingpost-apocalyptic novel.[68]
In 2010, he played Reverend Kalahan, cult leader and pastor whose death is the backdrop of the story in the crime thrillerAs Good as Dead. He portrayed formerSpeaker of the House of CommonsMichael Martin in the television filmOn Expenses. He also starred as Wally, an old rogue who fulfills his old friend's dying wish for a sea burial in the black comedyAll at Sea. In the same year, Cox playedLaura Linney's father in theShowtime seriesThe Big C,[69] and appeared as Ivan Simonov inRED.[citation needed]
In 2011, Cox starred as Captain Rudolph Sharp inThe Sinking of the Laconia,BBC Two's television film about the sinking of the British ocean linerRMS Laconia duringWorld War II.[70] He co-starred withGerald Butler andRalph Fiennes as a quietly reasonable senator inCoriolanus, a modern British film adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy.[71] He portrayed BaronWilliam d'Aubigny, a lordly wool merchant againstKing John's tyranny inIronclad, a war film set after the ratification ofMagna Carta.[72] In the American thrillerThe Key Man, he shared the screen withHugo Weaving as Irving, a sociopathic con man and a Shakespearian actor. He then starred inThe Veteran as a British intelligence officer who recruits a war veteran to track a female contact infiltrating a group of suspected terrorists.[73] He also starred as John Landon in the science-fiction filmRise of the Planet of the Apes.[74] He appeared as Glover Boyd, the retired policeman father of the protagonist in the Canadian biographical dramaCitizen Gangster.[75]
In 2012, Cox appeared in the Australian dramaThe Straits as thepatriarch of the Montebello family crime syndicate, Harry Montebello.[76] He appeared as Raymond Huggins, an associate of two corrupt businessmen brothers, in the political satire filmThe Campaign, and as Bill Ball inA Touch of Cloth, a parody of British police procedural dramas.[77] He starred inBlood as Lenny Fairburn, a retired cop and father of two fraternal detectives played byPaul Bettany andStephen Graham. He also appeared as an old man in the short filmI Missed My Mother's Funeral.[78]
In January 2013, Cox played the title character in the British comedy seriesBob Servant. He said he played Servant, the creation ofDundonian authorNeil Forsyth, based on memories of his late brother Charlie.[79] He played Ivan Simanov inRED 2, reprising his role from the 2010 original film.[80] InBlumenthal, he played the title role as the playwright Harold Blumenthal, who made a career out of parodying his family and died laughing at his own joke.[81] He starred inBelieve as the Scottish football managerMatt Busby, who returns from retirement to coach a group of young working-class boys.[82] He also starred in the psychological thrillerMindscape (original titleAnna) as Sebastian Cunningham, a superior in top memory detective agency Mindscape, which employs psychics to assist in solving criminal cases.[83] He portrayed FBI directorJ. Edgar Hoover inThe Curse of Edgar, an original docudrama based on the best-selling novel byMarc Dugain about Hoover's battle to keep power away from theKennedys.[84] In November 2013, he portrayed Canadian television executiveSydney Newman, the driving force behind the creation ofDoctor Who, in the BBC televisiondocudramaAn Adventure in Space and Time.[85] He appeared inTooned, an animated cartoon aboutFormula One racing, as an old mechanic, and as Magnus Bain in the crime drama seriesShetland (2013–2014) which was initially based onAnn Cleeves' novels.[86][87]
In 2014, Cox appeared inThe Anomaly as Lloyd Langham,Ian Somerhalder's father in the sci-fi thriller, who conducted nightmarish experiments on the protagonist.[88] He also appeared in the documentaryThe Great War: The People's Story as Reverend Andrew Clark, and in BBC'sCold War spy thriller seriesThe Game as anMI5 superior codenamed "Daddy".[89][90] He also reprised his role in the second series ofBob Servant.[91]
In 2015, he starred inThe Slap, an American adaptation of the Australian series based onChristos Tsiolka's novel, as Manolis Apostolou, the father of the main character played byPeter Sarsgaard.[92] He appeared in the sci-fi comedyPixels as a military heavyweight starring alongsideAdam Sandler, and in the Canadian revisionist western filmForsaken as a local gang leader.[93][94] He also starred in the short filmKilling Thyme as a grumpy old man with a squandered allotment and a death wish.
In 2016, he starred in the British-Hungarian comedyThe Carer asSir Michael Gifford, an ageing Shakespearian actor, and in the BBC's historical drama series adaptation ofLeo Tolstoy's novelWar & Peace asGeneral Mikhail Kutuzov.[95][96] He was nominated at the BAFTA Scotland Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal in the former.[97] He also received a Career Achievement Award at theStony Brook Film Festival for the same role.[98] He appeared in season 3 of the horror drama seriesPenny Dreadful as Jared Talbot, a ruthless, powerful American rancher and the estranged father ofJosh Hartnett's character.[99] He also appeared in the sci-fi thrillerMorgan as Jim Bryce, and starred alongsideEmile Hirsch inThe Autopsy of Jane Doe as Tommy.[100][101] In the first series of the Italian-British historical drama seriesMedici, he portrayedBernardo Guadagni, an officer of the Signoria.[102]
In 2017, he appeared asMarlon Brando inUrban Myths, a biographical comedy drama series in which each episode features a story about popular culture icons.[103] In June, Cox starred in the critically acclaimed historical war dramaChurchill, playing the title role asWinston Churchill.[104]
In April 2018, Cox reprised his role of Captain John O'Hagen inSuper 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.[105] 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".[106] In May, he starred inThe Etruscan Smile as Rory MacNeil, a dying man who reunites with his estranged son.[107][108] He starred in the first season ofSuccession,HBO's satirical drama which premiered 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.[109] In November, he starred as Henry inJames Franco's dramaThe Pretenders.[110]
In June 2019, he played William "Bill" Erwin inStrange But True, a thriller adaptation ofJohn Searles' novel.[111] In August, he starred as Shane in the romantic comedyRemember Me.[112] In the same month, the second season ofSuccession premiered in which Cox reprised his role, earning him theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and a nomination for theEmmy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series.[113][114][115][116] The series garnered critical acclaim receiving numerous awards and nominations, winning theBritish Academy Television Award for Best International Programme, theGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama, and thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.[117][118][119][120][121] In the same year, he played Father Reilly in the comedy dramaThe Last Right.[122]
In 2020, Cox starred as Gilles in the American neo-noir thrillerLast Moment of Clarity.[123] InThe Bay of Silence, he played Milton Hunter, a powerful art dealer and stepfather to a celebrated artist.[124] In 2021, he played Paul Rivers in the horror filmSeparation.[125]
In July 2021, it was announced that Cox would join the cast of the family dramaPrisoner's Daughter which tells the story of an ex-con trying to reconnect with his daughter and grandson.[126] The film was released at the2022 Toronto International Film Festival to mixed critical reviews, with Cox's performance praised as one of the highlights.[127] He also did voice work for the animated short-filmWittgenstein's Poker asBertrand Russell.[128]
In November 2020, it was announced that Cox would be joining the cast of the "audio movie series"Unsinkable, told in eleven 20-minute episodes based on the oil tankerMV San Demetrio, 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.[129]
He was executive producer of and starred in the 2022 American drama filmMending the Line. He plays 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.[130] He stars in the 2022 political thrillerThe Independent, which centres on a young journalist who teams up with her idol (Cox) to uncover a major conspiracy.[131]
Cox appears in the 2024 filmsSkelly[132] and provided the voice ofHelm Hammerhand in the animated filmThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.[133]
In 2023 he played the lead role ofJohann Sebastian Bach inOliver Cotton's playThe Score at the Theatre Royal, Bath, directed byTrevor Nunn.[134] The production and cast transferred to theTheatre Royal, Haymarket in 2025.[135]
In 2025, he return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade to perform inJames Graham's playMake It Happen, in the role ofAdam Smith.[136] While inEdinburgh for this role, Cox also participated in a fundraiser for theEdinburgh Fringe Festival in his capacity as a Fringe Ambassador.[137]
Cox narrated in the short filmZulu 9 (2001), the short filmThe Legend of Loch Lomond (2001), the docudramaSmallpox (2002), and the short filmThe Martyr's Crown (2007). He provided live-action narration for the television miniseriesTerry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic (2008).[138] He voiced Malcolm Young inExit 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 filmKubrick by Candlelight which takes place behind the scenes ofStanley Kubrick's filmBarry Lyndon.[139] In 2018, he provided the opening narration for the horror filmDark Highlands.[140] In 2019, he was The Voice in aA Modern Magician, a supernatural black comedy short film based onWilliam Olaf Stapledon's story exploring mental health, morality, perception, and desire.[141]
He was the voice of the Ood Elder in part one of theDoctor Who Christmas special, "The End of Time" (2009), the narrator in the pseudo-scientific documentaryThe Revelation of the Pyramids, supportingantisemitic andnegationnistconspiracy theories (2010),[142][143] Bob Servant inNeil Forsyth'sThe Bob Servant Emails: Series 1 (2012),[144] The Mastermind in the action seriesM.I. High (2013), Alan Watts in the award-winning sci-fi romantic dramaHer (2013), Chorus inArkangel Shakespeare's dramatised recording of Shakespeare'sHenry V (2014),[145] and Death inGood Omens (2019).[146]
From 2020 to 2021, he voice-acted in the sci-fi seriesFrom Now as Hunter, the formerly identical brother ofRichard Madden's character.[147] He voiced Augustus inNeil Gaiman'sThe Sandman: Act II (2021), the second instalment ofAudible'sNew York Times best-selling original.[148] He is set to star inLawrence: After Arabia, a retelling of the events that led to the enigmatic death of the famedT. E. Lawrence.[149]
Cox's radio work include roles in multipleBBC/BBC Radio 4 productions such as the title character in the seriesMcLevy (1999–ongoing), based on the real-life detectiveJames McLevy,[150] Alec Leamas inThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold (2009),[151] John Bernard Books in the dramatisation ofThe Shootist (2018),[145] and a talking head in the impressions showDead Ringers: Series 18 (2018).[152] He also narrated in the epic full-cast dramaThe Stuarts (2019) and inAlexander: The Story of a Legendary Leader (2020).[145]
Cox narrated the abridgedaudiobook version ofJohn Aubrey'sBrief Lives (1995),Joseph Conrad's novellasYouth andHeart of Darkness (1996), andSir Walter Scott'sIvanhoe (2001). He read the unabridged audiobook version ofBram Stoker'sDracula (1997),Ruth Rendell'sTo Fear a Painted Devil (2014),William McIlvanney'sThe Dark Remains book series, and his own autobiographyPutting the Rabbit in the Hat (2021). He also voiced inMurder Most Foul (Vol. 1), a collection of classic crime short fiction, and in its sequelMurder Most Foul (Vol. 2) both in 2003.[145]
He has collaborated withHarperCollins on an audiobook of Tolkien'sepic poemThe Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún (2010),[153] and on the abridged audiobook version ofGerald Seymour's 2011 works includingThe Fighting Man,The Heart of Danger,The Journeyman Tailor,The Glory Boys,Red Fox,Killing Ground,Condition Black, andField of Blood. In 2012, he readPenguin Classics' audiobook version ofH.G. Wells'The Time Machine, and in 2014,The Human Table byMarvin Cohen inWordTheatre'sPushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses (Vol. 2). He narratedThe Gospel of John (2014), the first ever word for word film adaptation of all four gospels, and in religious audiobooks forThe New Testament such asRSV-CE'sTruth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible (2020) andThe Word of God Audio Bible (2021).[145]
Cox also worked in animation, providing the voice ofMacbeth inShakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992), Earl Garver inSuperman: The Animated Series (1997), Pariah Dark inDanny Phantom (2005), General Hemmer inBattle for Terra (2007), Spanners inAgent Crush (2008), the Green Dragon in the direct-to-video filmScooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword (2009), Action 12 Reporter inWes Anderson'sFantastic Mr. Fox (2009), and Conrad and Crunch in the UK and US version ofBob the Builder: Mega Machines (2017). Cox narrated the first episode of the first series ofAnimated Tales of the World (2000). In 2018, he voiced Mr Widdershins, a gentleman whose life is pampered by automated machines, inWiddershins. He voices the English version of Niander Wallace Sr. in the Japanese-American animated seriesBlade Runner: Black Lotus (2021) based on theBlade Runner franchise. He also portrayed Helm Hammerhand in the animated filmThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024).[citation needed]
Cox has also been involved in the video game industry. He voice-acted the ruthless emperor Scolar Visari inKillzone (2004), and its two sequels,Killzone 2 (2009) andKillzone 3 (2011). He was also the voice of Lionel Starkweather, the main antagonist inManhunt (2003), a video game forMicrosoft Windows,PlayStation 2 andXbox.[154] In Electronic Arts' reboot ofSyndicate (2012), Cox played Jack Denham, the "ruthless power behind the boardroom throne" of the malicious corporation EuroCorp. The game was released onPlayStation 3,PC andXbox 360.[155] He's been featured in promotional material for the gameTekken 8 in which he recounts major events of thefranchise's story leading up to its latest release focusing on the father and son showdown betweenKazuya Mishima andJin Kazama.[156]
He provided the voiceover forVirgin TV's cross-platform advertising campaign promoting its new streamlined service, Virgin TV Anywhere, in January 2017.[157] Cox has also voiced TV ads forMcDonald's since 2020.[158][159] In April 2021, he provided voiceovers for TV ads for the launch of the online property portal Boomin.[160][161] In 2025, Cox teamed up with drinks brand,Malibu, in a TV ad campaign pledging the importance of a work-life balance.[162]
Cox also performed soundtracks in a few of his projects. In the seriesSharpe in the episode "Sharpe's Rifles" (1993), he sangHere's Adieu to all Judges and Juries. InL.I.E. (2001), he performedDanny Boy andHarrigan Song. He also sangThe Butcher Boy inThe Escapist.
Cox made his directorial debut in the "Gray Matter" episode of the hit HBO prison drama seriesOz (2000). His first foray into executive production was inThe Escapist (2008). He also served as executive producer in the seriesFrom Now (2020-2021) and is set to executive produceMending the Line.
He has received numerous accolades including twoBritish Academy Scotland Awards, anEmmy Award, aGolden Globe Award, aScreen Actors Guild Award and twoOlivier Awards. He has received two Olivier Awards for his performances inRat in the Skull (1984), andTitus Andronicus (1988). For his role as Logan Roy in theHBO drama seriesSuccession he has received aScreen Actors Guild Award, aGolden Globe Award and nominations for threePrimetime Emmy Awards and aBritish Academy Scotland Award.
Cox is divorced from both his first wife, Lilian Monroe-Carr, and his second wife, Caroline Burt. Cox and Burt have two children, Margaret andAlan; the latter is also an actor, best known for his roles inYoung Sherlock Holmes, and as the youngJohn Mortimer in the television film of his playA Voyage Round My Father (1982) oppositeLaurence Olivier. Cox married his third wife, actress Nicole Ansari, in 2002. They have two sons, Orson Jonathan Cox and Torin Kamran Cox, and as of June 2010[update] lived inNew York City.[163]
Cox is a self-proclaimeddemocratic socialist and aScottish republican. In 2007, he campaigned for theScottish Labour Party in the run-up to that year'sScottish Parliament election.[164] Cox endorsed theScottish National Party (SNP) in the2011 Parliament election because of their higher education policy.[164] In 2020, Cox told formerLabour Party strategistAlastair Campbell that he was an active and committed Labour supporter all his life until the party's controversial decision underTony Blair's premiership to involve the UK in theIraq War.[165]
On 25 May 2012, he spoke in support ofScottish independence at theYes Scotland campaign, saying he had gradually become disillusioned byNew Labour underTony Blair andGordon Brown, although Cox could not vote in the2014 Scottish independence referendum due to his residence in the United States. On 29 January 2015, Cox announced he had quit Labour underEd Miliband andJim Murphy, believing it had failednorth and south of the border to live up to its basic principles in recent years, and joined the SNP, whom he felt was taking forward values of social justice and representing Scotland's best interests.[166]
In January 2020, Cox called for a second referendum on Scottish independence, saying Labour had "failed" in Scotland and that theScottish people were "organically" moving towards a decision to leave the UK followingBrexit.[167] In October 2020, he acknowledged that he was unlikely to ever return to living in Scotland, citing the weather.[168] In November 2022, Cox insisted that he did not consider himself aScottish nationalist and described himself as anAnglophile, but believed too many political decisions were being made on Scotland's behalf. Cox also said he favoured a move towardsfederalism and constitutional change in the United Kingdom over Scottish independence, commenting, "I don't want to break up the Union but I want another idea for the Union", which he described as "independent states but we come together as a united federation".[169]
In October 2022, Cox criticisedConservative Prime MinisterLiz Truss in the wake of theSeptember 2022 United Kingdom mini-budget.[170][171] Cox asserted the Conservatives had "no vision" and that he did not believe Truss "is the right person for the job".[171]
During the2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Cox signed his name in support of "A Letter Against Apartheid" written by six Palestinian artists.[172] After theGaza war broke out in October 2023, Cox signed another letter (Artists4Ceasefire) calling for a ceasefire.[173] He later recorded himself reading the poem "If I Must Die" byRefaat Alareer, a Palestinian writer and professor killed by an Israeli airstrike during the war.[174] In 2025, Cox signed a letter prior to the2025 Cannes Film Festival criticizing the film industry's "passivity" during the ongoingGaza genocide.[175] In September 2025, he signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated ingenocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."[176]
Cox revealed in an interview toThe Guardian that he supported the recreational use ofcannabis: "It's absolutely great and I recommend it to everyone—get stoned!"[177]
On 31 December 2002, Cox was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire in theNew Year Honours List.[178][179]
He was honoured at the 2004BAFTA Scotland Awards with anOutstanding Achievement Award, and at the 2004 Great Scot Awards with a Lifetime Achievement Award.[63][180]
Empire magazine awarded him the Empire Icon Award in 2006, and theUK Film Council named him one of the top 10 powerfulBritish film stars in Hollywood in 2007.[12]
In 1993, Cox was made an Honorary Doctor of Lawshonoris causa by theUniversity of Dundee.[181] In 2006, he was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Drama by theRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland. In July 2007, he was made anHonorary Doctor of Letters byQueen Margaret University in Edinburgh,[182] and was made anHonorary Doctor of Drama byNapier University in Edinburgh in July 2008.[183] In November 2011, he was named anHonorary Doctor of Letters byKingston University in southwest London for his tireless contributions to drama education.[184]
In February 2010, Cox was elected as the 12thRector of the University of Dundee by its students, was formally installed in October,[185][186] and was re-elected in January 2013.[187]
In December 2018 he was appointed head of the international jury at theGolden Unicorn Awards.[188]
| Year | Country or organization | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | University of Dundee | Doctor of Lawshonoris causa | [189] |
| 2002 | United Kingdom | Commander of the Order of the British Empire | [178] |
| 2006 | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland | Honorary Doctorate of Drama | [189] |
| 2007 | Queen Margaret University | Honorary Doctor of Letters | [182] |
| 2008 | Napier University | Honorary Doctor of Drama | [183] |
| 2011 | Kingston University | Honorary Doctor of Letters | [184] |
Cox is a patron of theScottish Youth Theatre, Scotland's national theatre "for and by" young people. Scottish Youth Theatre's building inGlasgow, The Old Sheriff Court, named their theatre the Brian Cox Studio Theatre in his honour. He is also a patron of "THE SPACE", a training facility for actors and dancers in his native Dundee, and an ambassador for theScreen Academy Scotland, a collaboration betweenNapier University and theEdinburgh College of Art.[9][190] Cox is also patron of The Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham, one of the first repertory theatres to be built in the UK. In October 2017, he was made an honorary patron forCapital Theatre's campaign to modernise the historicKing's Theatre Edinburgh and preserve it for future generations.[9] In January 2020, he was removed from patronage of the Mid-Lin Daycare Centre, a centre for the elderly in Dundee, after serving for four years due to his confession of his use and endorsement of recreational cannabis.[191] In April 2020, he became patron of theBritish American Drama Academy with whom he has had a decades-long association, including directing several collaborations and holding regular Masterclasses for participants on BADA's programs.[192]
In April 2010, Cox, along withIan McKellen andEleanor Bron, appeared in a series of TV advertisements to supportAge UK, the charity formed from the merger ofAge Concern andHelp the Aged.[193] In 2012, Cox became the Grand Marshal of theNew York City Tartan Day Parade and reprised the role in 2020, the first time a previous Grand Marshal was asked to return since the parade moved to Manhattan's Sixth Avenue.[194] In June 2005, he was awarded the first Scotland's Tartan Day International Ambassador Award at a ceremony in the Scottish Parliament for his work in promoting Scotland abroad.[195]
He has authored three books:Salem to Moscow: An Actors Odyssey,The Lear Diaries, and his autobiographyPutting the Rabbit in the Hat.[196][197]
Salem to Moscow: An Actors Odyssey spans 30 years inBritish theatre, beginning in the 1980s, when Cox, despite success on both sides of the Atlantic, was looking for a new sense of purpose for his life and work which culminates having first directedThe Crucible at theMoscow Art Theatre School.[198]
InThe Lear Diaries, Cox accounts how a group of leading actors approach a major text, providing insight into the pressures that contemporary theatre actors face. He describes the emotional and physical difficulties that came with playing King Lear while also working as a member of an ensemble playing roles in Richard III. His diary also reveals the personal strains of touring, particularly the difficulties of being separated from his family during the company's year-long tour.[17]
Cox credits a remark from fellow actor Oliver Cotton during the production as resulting in the title of his autobiographyPutting The Rabbit In The Hat published in 2021.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Rector of the University of Dundee 2010–2016 | Succeeded by |
