Brian Cox

Brian Cox

79 · Born: Jun 1, 1946

Personal Details

Official Socials
BornJun 1, 1946 Dundee, Scotland, UK
Spouse
  • Nicole Ansari-Cox

    ( Dec 31, 1969 to Nov 30, 2025 )
  • Caroline Burt

    ( Dec 31, 1969 to Dec 31, 1969 )
Parents
  • Mary Ann Guillerline Cox (McCann)
  • Charles McArdle Campbell Cox
Relatives
  • Sibling (Sibling)
  • Sibling (Sibling)
  • Sibling (Sibling)
  • Sibling (Sibling)

Biography

Brian Cox is a renowned Scottish actor who has garnered numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award, for his remarkable performances on screen. Born on June 1, 1946, in Dundee, Scotland, Cox is the son of Mary Ann Guillerline Cox, a spinner, and Charles McArdle Campbell Cox, a shopkeeper and butcher. His paternal ancestry is Irish, while his maternal heritage is a mix of Irish and Scottish roots.

Cox's early career took off in the 1970s with a string of television film appearances. His breakthrough role came in 1986 as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the film Manhunter, although the movie did not achieve significant commercial success. Undeterred, Cox's star continued to rise, and he went on to appear in nearly 20 films and television series throughout the 1990s. His versatility as an actor enabled him to make numerous guest appearances on television, further cementing his reputation as a talented performer.

In recent years, Cox has secured roles in notable films such as The Corruptor (1999),The Ring (2002),and X2: X-Men United (2003). His outstanding contributions to the world of drama were recognized in 2003 when he was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year's Honours List.

Career

2025
The Electric State
The Electric State as Popfly (voice)
Glenrothan
Glenrothan as Sandy
Little Wing
Little Wing as Jaan Vari
That Christmas
That Christmas as Santa (voice)
Skelly
Skelly as Grandpa
Quasi
Quasi as Narrator (voice)
Mending the Line
Mending the Line as Ike Fletcher
007: Road to a Million
007: Road to a Million as The Controller
2022
The Independent
The Independent as Nick Booker
2021
Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story
Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story as Narrator (voice)
Separation
Separation as Rivers
Blade Runner: Black Lotus
Blade Runner: Black Lotus as Niander Wallace Sr. (voice)
Lawrence: After Arabia
Lawrence: After Arabia as Father (Voice)
2019
The Etruscan Smile
The Etruscan Smile as Rory MacNeil
The Last Right
The Last Right as Father Reilly
Good Omens
Good Omens as Death (voice)
2018
Super Troopers 2
Super Troopers 2 as John O'Hagen
Dark Highlands
Dark Highlands as Opening Narrator
Succession
Succession as Logan Roy
Churchill
Churchill as Winston Churchill
Bob the Builder: Mega Machines
Bob the Builder: Mega Machines as Conrad / Crunch (voice)
2016
Morgan
Morgan as Jim Bryce
The Carer
The Carer as Sir Michael
Medici
Medici as Bernardo Guadagni
War & Peace
War & Peace as Mikhail Kutuzov
2015
Pixels
Pixels as Admiral Porter
Forsaken
Forsaken as James McCurdy
The Slap
The Slap as Manolis
2014
The Anomaly
The Anomaly as Dr. Langham
The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John as Narrator (voice) – King James Version
The Game
The Game as Daddy
Shetland
Shetland as Magnus Bain
The Curse of Edgar
The Curse of Edgar as Edgar Hoover
Anna
Anna as Sebastian
Blumenthal
Blumenthal as Harold Blumenthal
RED 2
RED 2 as Ivan
Believe
Believe as Matt Busby
Her
Her as Alan Watts (voice)
Tooned
Tooned as The Mechanic
2012
All at Sea
All at Sea as Wally
The Campaign
The Campaign as Raymond
Blood
Blood as Lenny Fairburn
A Touch of Cloth
A Touch of Cloth as Bill Ball
The Straits
The Straits as Harry Montebello
2011
Exit Humanity
Exit Humanity as Malcolm Young (voice)
Ironclad
Ironclad as Albany
Coriolanus
Coriolanus as Menenius
The Key Man
The Key Man as Irving
2010
RED
RED as Ivan Simanov
As Good as Dead
As Good as Dead as Reverend Kalahan
2009
Tell Tale
Tell Tale as Van Doren
Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword
Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword as Green Dragon (voice)
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantastic Mr. Fox as Action 12 Reporter (voice)
The Take
The Take as Ozzy
2008
Agent Crush
Agent Crush as Spanners (voice)
Shoot on Sight
Shoot on Sight as Daniel Tennant
The Escapist
The Escapist as Frank Perry
Red
Red as Avery Ludlow
2007
Battle for Terra
Battle for Terra as General Hemmer (voice)
Trick 'r Treat
Trick 'r Treat as Mr. Kreeg
The Water Horse
The Water Horse as Old Angus
Zodiac
Zodiac as Melvin Belli
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum as Ward Abbott (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
2006
The Flying Scotsman
The Flying Scotsman as Douglas Baxter
Deadwood
Deadwood as Jack Langrishe
2005
Blue/Orange
Blue/Orange as Dr. Robert Smith
Match Point
Match Point as Alec Hewett
Red Eye
Red Eye as Joe Reisert
The Ringer
The Ringer as Gary Barker
2004
Troy
Troy as King Agamemnon
2003
Sin
Sin as Captain Oakes
X2
X2 as William Stryker
2002
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Identity as Ward Abbott
The Rookie
The Rookie as Jim Morris Sr.
The Biographer
The Biographer as Michael O'Mara
25th Hour
25th Hour as James Brogan
The Ring
The Ring as Richard Morgan
Bug
Bug as Cyr
Adaptation.
Adaptation. as Robert McKee
2001
Super Troopers
Super Troopers as John O'Hagen
L.I.E.
L.I.E. as Big John Harrigan
The Affair of the Necklace
The Affair of the Necklace as Minister Breteuil
2000
Saltwater
Saltwater as George Beneventi
A Shot at Glory
A Shot at Glory as Martin Smith
Longitude
Longitude as Lord Morton
Mad About Mambo
Mad About Mambo as Sidney McLoughlin
Complicity
Complicity as Inspector McDunn
Nuremberg
Nuremberg as Herman Wilhelm Goering
1999
For Love of the Game
For Love of the Game as Gary Wheeler
The Corruptor
The Corruptor as Sean Wallace
1998
Poodle Springs
Poodle Springs as Clayton Blackstone
Merchants of Venus
Merchants of Venus as Uncle Vladimir
Rushmore
Rushmore as Dr. Nelson Guggenheim
Desperate Measures
Desperate Measures as Captain Jeremiah Cassidy
1997
Kiss the Girls
Kiss the Girls as Chief Hatfield, Durham PD
Food for Ravens
Food for Ravens as Aneurin Bevan
The Boxer
The Boxer as Joe Hamill
1996
The Glimmer Man
The Glimmer Man as Mr. Smith
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Kiss Goodnight as Dr. Nathan Waldman
Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction as Lyman Earl Collier
Witness Against Hitler
Witness Against Hitler as Judge Freisler
1995
Rob Roy
Rob Roy as Killearn
Braveheart
Braveheart as Argyle Wallace
1994
Grushko
Grushko as Colonel Yevgeni Grushko
The Maltese Double Cross
The Maltese Double Cross as Narrator (voice)
Iron Will
Iron Will as Angus McTeague
Royal Deceit
Royal Deceit as Aethelwine
The Negotiator
The Negotiator as Charlie King
1993
Sharpe
Sharpe as Major Michael Hogan
Sharpe
Sharpe as Major Michael Hogan
Sharpe
Sharpe as Major Hogan
Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse as Michael Steppings
1992
Performance
Performance as The Director
Van der Valk
Van der Valk as Stefan Szabo
1991
Red Fox
Red Fox as Geoffrey Harrison
1990
Secret Weapon
Secret Weapon as Andrew Neil
Hidden Agenda
Hidden Agenda as Peter Kerrigan
1989
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky as Voiceover Narrator
1986
Manhunter
Manhunter as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor
1985
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale as Dr. McGregor
1984
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II as Father Góra
1983
King Lear
King Lear as Burgundy
1982
Play for Today
Play for Today as Dr. Gillespie
1978
Out
Out as McGrath
1976
Play for Today
Play for Today as George Simpson
1975
In Celebration
In Celebration as Steven Shaw
1974
1968
Theatre 625
Theatre 625 as Lasar Opie
2025
Glenrothan
Glenrothan as Director