Brian Cox

Brian Cox

Biography

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.

🎬 Movies Featuring Brian Cox

The Marbles

The Marbles (2025)

as Self - Interviewee
Raoul Wallenberg: Missing Inaction

Raoul Wallenberg: Missing Inaction (2025)

as Self — Gustaf Wallenberg (voice)
That Christmas

That Christmas (2024)

as Santa (voice)
Quasi

Quasi (2023)

as Narrator (voice)
The Last Right

The Last Right (2019)

as Father Reilly
Churchill

Churchill (2017)

as Winston Churchill
Morgan

Morgan (2016)

as Jim Bryce
The Carer

The Carer (2016)

as Sir Michael
Forsaken

Forsaken (2015)

as James McCurdy
Pixels

Pixels (2015)

as Admiral Porter
The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John (2014)

as Narrator (voice) – King James Version
The Anomaly

The Anomaly (2014)

as Dr. Langham
Her

Her (2013)

as Alan Watts (voice)
Anna

Anna (2013)

as Sebastian
Believe

Believe (2013)

as Matt Busby
No Image

Blumenthal (2013)

as Harold Blumenthal
Blood

Blood (2012)

as Lenny Fairburn
Exit Humanity

Exit Humanity (2011)

as Malcolm Young (voice)
RED

RED (2010)

as Ivan Simanov
As Good As Dead

As Good As Dead (2010)

as Reverend Kalahan
Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

as Action 12 Reporter (voice)
Red

Red (2008)

as Avery Ludlow
Agent Crush

Agent Crush (2008)

as Spanners (voice)
Shoot on Sight

Shoot on Sight (2007)

as Daniel Tennant
Battle for Terra

Battle for Terra (2007)

as General Hemmer (voice)
The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

as Ward Abbott (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Zodiac

Zodiac (2007)

as Melvin Belli
The Ringer

The Ringer (2005)

as Gary Barker
Match Point

Match Point (2005)

as Alec Hewett
Red Eye

Red Eye (2005)

as Joe Reisert
Blue/Orange

Blue/Orange (2005)

as Dr. Robert Smith
Japan's War in Colour

Japan's War in Colour (2005)

as Self - Narrator (voice)
Troy

Troy (2004)

as King Agamemnon
X2

X2 (2003)

as William Stryker
Sin

Sin (2003)

as Captain Oakes
25th Hour

25th Hour (2002)

as James Brogan
Adaptation.

Adaptation. (2002)

as Robert McKee
The Ring

The Ring (2002)

as Richard Morgan
The Biographer

The Biographer (2002)

as Michael O'Mara
The Rookie

The Rookie (2002)

as Jim Morris Sr.
L.I.E.

L.I.E. (2001)

as Big John Harrigan
Saltwater

Saltwater (2000)

as George Beneventi
Complicity

Complicity (2000)

as Inspector McDunn
Mad About Mambo

Mad About Mambo (2000)

as Sidney McLoughlin
Longitude

Longitude (2000)

as Lord Morton
Rushmore

Rushmore (1998)

as Dr. Nelson Guggenheim
Poodle Springs

Poodle Springs (1998)

as Clayton Blackstone
Desperate Measures

Desperate Measures (1998)

as Captain Jeremiah Cassidy
The Boxer

The Boxer (1997)

as Joe Hamill
Kiss the Girls

Kiss the Girls (1997)

as Chief Hatfield, Durham PD
Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction (1996)

as Lyman Earl Collier
Braveheart

Braveheart (1995)

as Argyle Wallace
Grushko

Grushko (1994)

as Colonel Yevgeni Grushko
Iron Will

Iron Will (1994)

as Angus McTeague
Sharpe's Eagle

Sharpe's Eagle (1993)

as Major Michael Hogan
Sharpe's Rifles

Sharpe's Rifles (1993)

as Major Michael Hogan
Deceptions

Deceptions (1992)

as Carlton Heard
Red Fox

Red Fox (1991)

as Geoffrey Harrison
Hidden Agenda

Hidden Agenda (1990)

as Peter Kerrigan
The Blasphemers' Banquet

The Blasphemers' Banquet (1989)

as Rev. Wallace (voice)
No Image

Rat in the Skull (1987)

as Detective Inspector Nelson
Manhunter

Manhunter (1986)

as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor
No Image

The Cantor of St Thomas's (1985)

as Johann Sebastian Bach
No Image

Wittgenstein's Poker (N/A)

as Bertrand Russell (voice)