Brian Cox
Brian Denis Cox (born June 1, 1946) is a Scottish actor. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, he is known for his work on stage and screen. His numerous accolades include two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a British Academy Television Award. In 2003, he was appointed to the Order of the British Empire at the rank of Commander. Cox trained at the Dundee Repertory Theatre before becoming a founding member of the Royal Lyceum Theatre. He went on to train as a Shakespearean actor, starring in numerous productions with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear. Cox received two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Actor for his roles in Rat in the Skull (1984), for Royal Court, and Titus Andronicus (1988). He received two more Olivier Award nominations for Misalliance (1986) and Fashion (1988). Known as a character actor in film, he played Robert McKee in Spike Jonze's Adaptation (2002) and William Stryker in X2 (2003). For his starring role in L.I.E. (2001), he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. His other notable films include Manhunter (1986), Iron Will (1994), Braveheart (1995), The Boxer (1997), The Rookie (2002), Troy (2004), Match Point (2005), The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007), Coriolanus (2011), Pixels (2015), and Churchill (2017). Cox won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his portrayal of Hermann Göring in the television film Nuremberg (2001). The following year, he guest starred on the NBC sitcom Frasier, earning his second Emmy nomination in 2002. He portrayed Jack Langrishe in the HBO series Deadwood. He starred as Logan Roy on the HBO series Succession (2018-2023), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
Credits
- - A Modern Magician ( movie ) as The Voice
- - The Glove ( movie )
- - The Planets ( movie )
- - Wittgenstein's Poker ( movie ) as Bertrand Russell (voice)
- - Old Pals ( movie ) as Jimmy
- - Have I Got a Bit More News for You ( tv ) as Himself - Panellist
- 2026 - Super Troopers 3: Winter Soldiers ( movie ) as Capt. John O’Hagan
- 2025 - The Marbles ( movie ) as Self - Interviewee
- 2025 - Raoul Wallenberg: Missing Inaction ( movie ) as Self — Gustaf Wallenberg (voice)
- 2025 - Glenrothan ( movie ) as Sandy
- 2025 - VE Day 80 ( tv ) as Self
- 2025 - The Parenting ( movie ) as Frank
- 2025 - AMR: Dying to Change the World ( movie ) as AMR
- 2025 - The Electric State ( movie ) as Popfly (voice)
- 2024 - The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ( movie ) as Helm Hammerhand (voice)
- 2024 - That Christmas ( movie ) as Santa (voice)
- 2024 - Unsinkable ( tv ) as Robert Dodds
- 2024 - Skelly ( movie ) as Grandpa
- 2024 - Little Wing ( movie ) as Jaan Vari
- 2023 - 007: Road to a Million ( tv ) as The Controller
- 2023 - Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius ( tv ) as Self
- 2023 - Made of Money with Brian Cox ( tv )
- 2023 - Bill Douglas: My Best Friend ( movie ) as Narrator (voice)
- 2023 - Prisoner's Daughter ( movie ) as Max
- 2023 - Mending the Line ( movie ) as Ike Fletcher
- 2023 - Quasi ( movie ) as Narrator (voice)
- 2023 - An Interview with Brian Cox ( movie ) as Himself
- 2022 - Ooh the Banter! ( movie ) as Self
- 2022 - Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba ( movie ) as Self
- 2022 - Brian Cox: How The Other Half Live ( tv ) as Presenter
- 2022 - Bonnie ( movie ) as Self
- 2022 - The Independent ( movie ) as Nick Booker
- 2022 - Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg ( tv ) as Self – Actor
- 2022 - Ukraine: Answering the Call ( movie ) as Self
- 2022 - Piers Morgan Uncensored ( tv ) as Self
- 2021 - Blade Runner: Black Lotus ( tv ) as Niander Wallace Sr. (voice)
- 2021 - Separation ( movie ) as Rivers
- 2021 - Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story ( movie ) as Narrator (voice)
- 2020 - The Bay of Silence ( movie ) as Milton
- 2020 - John Rebus: The Lockdown Blues ( movie ) as John Rebus
- 2020 - Last Moment of Clarity ( movie ) as Gilles
- 2020 - Lawrence After Arabia ( movie ) as Father (Voice)
- 2019 - The Last Right ( movie ) as Father Reilly
- 2019 - Strange but True ( movie ) as Bill
- 2019 - Pretenders ( movie ) as Henry
- 2019 - Remember Me ( movie ) as Shane
- 2019 - Good Omens ( tv ) as Death (voice)
- 2018 - Kubrick by Candlelight ( movie ) as The Narrator
- 2018 - Widdershins ( movie ) as voice
- 2018 - Succession ( tv ) as Logan Roy
- 2018 - Super Troopers 2 ( movie ) as John O'Hagen
- 2018 - The Etruscan Smile ( movie ) as Rory MacNeil
- 2017 - The Russell Howard Hour ( tv ) as Self
- 2017 - Carpool Karaoke: The Series ( tv ) as Self
- 2017 - An Evening with Brian Cox ( movie ) as Himself
- 2017 - Bob the Builder: Mega Machines - The Movie ( movie ) as Conrad / Crunch (voice)
- 2017 - Churchill ( movie ) as Winston Churchill
- 2017 - Brian Cox's Russia ( tv ) as Host
- 2017 - Vegalta: Soccer, Tsunami and the Hope of a Nation ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2016 - Darcey Bussell: My Life on the BBC ( movie ) as Self
- 2016 - The Autopsy of Jane Doe ( movie ) as Tommy Tilden
- 2016 - I Medici ( tv ) as Bernardo Guadagni
- 2016 - Morgan ( movie ) as Jim Bryce
- 2016 - The Carer ( movie ) as Sir Michael
- 2016 - Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Light ( movie ) as Self
- 2016 - War and Peace ( tv ) as Mikhail Kutuzov
- 2015 - Killing Thyme ( movie ) as Norman
- 2015 - Forsaken ( movie ) as James McCurdy
- 2015 - Pacific Warriors ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2015 - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ( tv )
- 2015 - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ( tv ) as Self
- 2015 - Pixels ( movie ) as Admiral Porter
- 2015 - Andrew Carnegie: Rags to Riches, Power to Peace ( movie ) as Andrew Carnegie (voice)
- 2015 - The Slap ( tv ) as Manolis
- 2014 - Variety Studio: Actors on Actors ( tv ) as Self
- 2014 - The Gospel of John ( movie ) as Narrator (voice) – King James Version
- 2014 - The Game ( tv ) as Daddy
- 2014 - Scotland In A Day ( movie )
- 2014 - The Great War: The People's Story ( tv ) as Rev. Andrew Clark
- 2014 - The Anomaly ( movie ) as Dr. Langham
- 2014 - Penny Dreadful ( tv ) as Jared Talbot
- 2014 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( tv ) as God
- 2014 - Late Night with Seth Meyers ( tv ) as Self
- 2014 - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ( tv ) as Self
- 2013 - Her ( movie ) as Alan Watts (voice)
- 2013 - An Adventure in Space and Time ( movie ) as Sydney Newman
- 2013 - La Malédiction d'Edgar ( movie ) as Edgar Hoover
- 2013 - Anna ( movie ) as Sebastian
- 2013 - Believe ( movie ) as Matt Busby
- 2013 - Blumenthal ( movie ) as Harold Blumenthal
- 2013 - RED 2 ( movie ) as Ivan
- 2013 - Shetland ( tv ) as Magnus Bain
- 2013 - The Last Leg ( tv ) as Self
- 2013 - Bob Servant ( tv ) as Bob Servant
- 2012 - Addicted to Pleasure ( tv ) as Self - Host
- 2012 - Blood ( movie ) as Lenny Fairburn
- 2012 - A Touch of Cloth ( tv ) as Bill Ball
- 2012 - The Campaign ( movie ) as Raymond
- 2012 - Tooned ( tv ) as The Mechanic
- 2012 - All at Sea ( movie ) as Wally
- 2012 - The Straits ( tv ) as Harry Montebello
- 2012 - I Missed My Mother's Funeral ( movie ) as Old Man
- 2011 - Celebrity Antiques Road Trip ( tv ) as Self - Participant
- 2011 - Exit Humanity ( movie ) as Malcolm Young (voice)
- 2011 - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster ( movie ) as Glover
- 2011 - The Jonathan Ross Show ( tv ) as Self
- 2011 - The Jonathan Ross Show ( tv ) as Self - Guest
- 2011 - Rise of the Planet of the Apes ( movie ) as John Landon
- 2011 - The Veteran ( movie ) as Gerry
- 2011 - Ironclad ( movie ) as Albany
- 2011 - The Key Man ( movie ) as Irving
- 2011 - Coriolanus ( movie ) as Menenius
- 2011 - The Sinking of the Laconia ( tv ) as Captain Sharp
- 2010 - RED ( movie ) as Ivan Simanov
- 2010 - On Expenses ( movie )
- 2010 - As Good As Dead ( movie ) as Reverend Kalahan
- 2009 - The Day of the Triffids ( tv ) as Dennis Masen
- 2009 - Fantastic Mr. Fox ( movie ) as Action 12 Reporter (voice)
- 2009 - Brian Cox's Jute Journey ( movie ) as Self
- 2009 - The Good Heart ( movie ) as Jacques
- 2009 - The Take ( tv ) as Ozzy
- 2009 - Tell-Tale ( movie ) as Van Doren
- 2009 - Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword ( movie ) as Green Dragon (voice)
- 2009 - Kings ( tv ) as King Vesper Abaddon
- 2008 - Red ( movie ) as Avery Ludlow
- 2008 - The Escapist ( movie ) as Frank Perry
- 2008 - The Colour of Magic ( tv ) as Narrator
- 2008 - Agent Crush ( movie ) as Spanners (voice)
- 2007 - The Water Horse ( movie ) as Old Angus
- 2007 - The Secret of the Nutcracker ( movie ) as Drosselmeyer
- 2007 - Shoot on Sight ( movie ) as Daniel Tennant
- 2007 - Trick 'r Treat ( movie ) as Mr. Kreeg
- 2007 - Battle for Terra ( movie ) as General Hemmer (voice)
- 2007 - The Bourne Ultimatum ( movie ) as Ward Abbott (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2007 - A Woman in Winter ( movie ) as Dr. Hunt
- 2007 - Zodiac ( movie ) as Melvin Belli
- 2007 - The Graham Norton Show ( tv ) as Self
- 2006 - Running with Scissors ( movie ) as Dr. Finch
- 2006 - The Outsiders ( movie ) as Gabriel
- 2006 - The Flying Scotsman ( movie ) as Douglas Baxter
- 2006 - The One Show ( tv ) as Self - Guest
- 2006 - Carry On Ken ( movie ) as Self
- 2005 - The Ringer ( movie ) as Gary Barker
- 2005 - Match Point ( movie ) as Alec Hewett
- 2005 - The Colbert Report ( tv )
- 2005 - The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle ( movie ) as Joseph Bell
- 2005 - Red Eye ( movie ) as Joe Reisert
- 2005 - Hitler in Colour ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2005 - Blue/Orange ( movie ) as Dr. Robert Smith
- 2005 - Japan's War in Colour ( movie ) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2004 - The Tony Danza Show ( tv ) as Self
- 2004 - Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson ( movie ) as Other Voices (voice)
- 2004 - The Bourne Supremacy ( movie ) as Ward Abbott
- 2004 - Troy ( movie ) as King Agamemnon
- 2004 - Deadwood ( tv ) as Jack Langrishe
- 2004 - Murder by Numbers ( movie ) as Self
- 2004 - The Reckoning ( movie ) as Tobias
- 2003 - The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men! Making 'X2' ( movie )
- 2003 - One Life ( tv )
- 2003 - The Evolution of an American Filmmaker ( movie ) as Self
- 2003 - X2 ( movie ) as William Stryker
- 2003 - Real Time with Bill Maher ( tv ) as Self
- 2003 - Sin ( movie ) as Captain Oakes
- 2002 - 25th Hour ( movie ) as James Brogan
- 2002 - Adaptation. ( movie ) as Robert McKee
- 2002 - Aleister Crowley - The Wickedest Man in the World ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2002 - Top Gear ( tv ) as Self
- 2002 - The Ring ( movie ) as Richard Morgan
- 2002 - The Trials of Henry Kissinger ( movie )
- 2002 - The Biographer ( movie ) as Michael O'Mara
- 2002 - The Bourne Identity ( movie ) as Ward Abbott
- 2002 - Loch Lomond: Legend of the Loch ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2002 - The Rookie ( movie ) as Jim Morris Sr.
- 2002 - Bug ( movie ) as Cyr
- 2002 - Rasputin: The Devil in the Flesh ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2002 - Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon ( movie ) as Narrator
- 2001 - The Affair of the Necklace ( movie ) as Minister Breteuil
- 2001 - Richard & Judy ( tv ) as Self
- 2001 - L.I.E. ( movie ) as Big John Harrigan
- 2001 - Strictly Sinatra ( movie ) as Chisolm
- 2001 - Super Troopers ( movie ) as John O'Hagen
- 2001 - Inside 'Manhunter' ( movie ) as Himself
- 2000 - Aqua Teen Hunger Force ( tv ) as Anubis (voice)
- 2000 - Saltwater ( movie ) as George Beneventi
- 2000 - Nuremberg ( tv ) as Herman Wilhelm Goering
- 2000 - Complicity ( movie ) as Inspector McDunn
- 2000 - A Shot at Glory ( movie ) as Martin Smith
- 2000 - Mad About Mambo ( movie ) as Sidney McLoughlin
- 2000 - The Invention of Dr. Morel ( movie ) as Dr. Morel
- 2000 - The Making of 'Rushmore' ( movie ) as Self
- 2000 - Longitude ( movie ) as Lord Morton
- 2000 - Longitude ( tv ) as Lord Morton
- 1999 - The History of the British Police Force ( movie ) as Narrator (voice)
- 1999 - The Minus Man ( movie ) as Doug
- 1999 - For Love of the Game ( movie ) as Gary Wheeler
- 1999 - The Corruptor ( movie ) as Sean Wallace
- 1998 - Rushmore ( movie ) as Dr. Nelson Guggenheim
- 1998 - Poodle Springs ( movie ) as Clayton Blackstone
- 1998 - Merchants of Venus ( movie ) as Uncle Vladimir
- 1998 - Desperate Measures ( movie ) as Captain Jeremiah Cassidy
- 1997 - The Boxer ( movie ) as Joe Hamill
- 1997 - Food for Ravens ( movie ) as Aneurin Bevan
- 1997 - Sharpe: The Legend ( movie ) as Hogan
- 1997 - Kiss the Girls ( movie ) as Chief Hatfield, Durham PD
- 1996 - The Long Kiss Goodnight ( movie ) as Dr. Nathan Waldman
- 1996 - The Glimmer Man ( movie ) as Mr. Smith
- 1996 - Superman: The Animated Series ( tv ) as Dr. Earl Garver (voice)
- 1996 - Chain Reaction ( movie ) as Lyman Earl Collier
- 1996 - The Daily Show ( tv ) as Self
- 1996 - Witness Against Hitler ( movie ) as Judge Freisler
- 1995 - Braveheart ( movie ) as Argyle Wallace
- 1995 - Rob Roy ( movie ) as Killearn
- 1994 - The Maltese Double Cross ( movie ) as Narrator (voice)
- 1994 - The Negotiator ( movie ) as Charlie King
- 1994 - Grushko ( movie ) as Colonel Yevgeni Grushko
- 1994 - Prince of Jutland ( movie ) as Aethelwine
- 1994 - Iron Will ( movie ) as Angus McTeague
- 1993 - Frasier ( tv ) as Harry Moon
- 1993 - Sharpe's Eagle ( movie ) as Major Michael Hogan
- 1993 - Sharpe's Rifles ( movie ) as Major Michael Hogan
- 1993 - Sharpe ( tv ) as Major Hogan
- 1992 - Six Characters in Search of An Author ( movie ) as The Director
- 1992 - Macbeth ( movie ) as Macbeth
- 1992 - The Big Battalions ( tv ) as Edward Hoyland
- 1992 - Shakespeare: The Animated Tales ( tv ) as Macbeth (voice)
- 1992 - The Cutter ( movie )
- 1992 - The Lost Language of Cranes ( movie ) as Owen Benjamin
- 1992 - The Cloning of Joanna May ( movie ) as Carl May
- 1992 - Deceptions ( movie ) as Carlton Heard
- 1991 - Red Fox ( movie ) as Geoffrey Harrison
- 1991 - Performance ( tv ) as The Director
- 1990 - Hidden Agenda ( movie ) as Peter Kerrigan
- 1990 - Have I Got News for You ( tv ) as Self
- 1990 - The Making of 'Hidden Agenda' ( movie ) as self
- 1990 - Perfect Scoundrels ( tv ) as Father Amedy
- 1990 - Secret Weapon ( movie ) as Andrew Neil
- 1989 - The Simpsons ( tv ) as Kostas Becker (voice)
- 1989 - Brian Cox on Acting in Tragedy ( movie ) as Self
- 1989 - The Blasphemers' Banquet ( movie ) as Rev. Wallace (voice)
- 1989 - Murder on the Moon ( movie ) as Voronov
- 1988 - Regi Andrej Tarkovskij ( movie ) as Voiceover Narrator
- 1988 - LIVE with Kelly and Mark ( tv ) as Self - Guest
- 1988 - Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun ( movie ) as Jack Purves
- 1988 - Red Dwarf ( tv ) as The King
- 1988 - The Modern World: Ten Great Writers ( tv ) as Henrik Ibsen (voice)
- 1987 - Acting ( tv )
- 1987 - Shoot for the Sun ( movie ) as Dunny
- 1987 - French & Saunders ( tv ) as King Lear
- 1987 - Inspector Morse ( tv ) as Michael Steppings
- 1987 - Rat in the Skull ( movie ) as Detective Inspector Nelson
- 1987 - Gramsci: Everything that Concerns People ( movie ) as Narrator
- 1986 - Home Cooking ( movie ) as Vic
- 1986 - Unnatural Causes ( tv ) as Vic
- 1986 - Manhunter ( movie ) as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor
- 1985 - Florence Nightingale ( movie ) as Dr. McGregor
- 1985 - The Cantor of St Thomas's ( movie ) as Johann Sebastian Bach
- 1984 - Pope John Paul II ( movie ) as Father Góra
- 1983 - King Lear ( movie ) as Burgundy
- 1982 - A Cotswold Death ( movie ) as Dr. Gillespie
- 1982 - The Privilege ( movie ) as Young Laird
- 1981 - House on the Hill ( tv ) as Leon Douglas
- 1980 - Hammer House of Horror ( tv ) as Chuck
- 1980 - Dalhousie's Luck ( movie ) as Dalhousie
- 1980 - Therese Raquin ( tv ) as Laurent
- 1979 - Minder ( tv ) as Frank
- 1979 - Question Time ( tv ) as Self - Panellist
- 1978 - Out ( tv ) as McGrath
- 1978 - The Devil's Crown ( tv ) as Henry II
- 1977 - Target ( tv ) as Billy Voss
- 1976 - Clay, Smeddum and Greenden ( movie ) as George Simpson
- 1975 - In Celebration ( movie ) as Steven Shaw
- 1974 - Churchill's People ( tv ) as William Wallace
- 1974 - Playhouse ( tv ) as Dalhousie
- 1974 - The Changeling ( movie ) as Alsemero
- 1972 - Van der Valk ( tv ) as Stefan Szabo
- 1971 - Nicholas and Alexandra ( movie ) as Trotsky
- 1971 - Great Performances ( tv ) as Self - Narration (voice)
- 1970 - Play for Today ( tv ) as Dr. Gillespie
- 1970 - Manhunt ( tv ) as Anton
- 1968 - The Year of the Sex Olympics ( movie ) as Lasar Opie
- 1967 - The Gamblers ( tv ) as Mickey
- 1965 - BBC Play of the Month ( tv ) as Alsemero
- 1965 - A Knight in Tarnished Armour ( movie ) as Nelson
- 1964 - Theatre 625 ( tv ) as Lasar Opie
