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