Has a son, Alan Cox, who starred in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
First actor to portray Dr. Hannibal Lecter on the screen.
He was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the order of the British Empire) in the 2002 New Year's Eve Honours List.
He played Hannibal Lecter in the film, Manhunter (1986). In 2002, He co-starred with Edward Norton in the film 25th Hour (2002). In 2002, Norton also starred in Red Dragon (2002), which was a remake of 'Manhunter'.
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1985 (1984 season) for Best Actor in a New Play for Rat in the Skull.
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1989 (1988 season) for Best Actor in a Revival for Titus Andronicus.
Son Alan Cox (a professional actor) and daughter Margaret, from his 18-year marriage to Caroline Burt (they divorced in 1986.). A second son was born 31 Jan 2002 from his wife Nicole Ansari-Cox.
He was awarded the 1987 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor for his performances in The Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus, and Fashion.
He was awarded the 1984 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor for his performances in Rat in the Skull and Strange Interlude.
He does not watch or view his own work.
Rarely plays characters who are sympathetic or likable, from his egotistical take on Robert McKee in Adaptation. (2002) to the robust evil in his portrayal of Agamemnon in Troy (2004). Howver, he has gone against type and played several likable characters, such as the gruff yet honorable Uncle Argyle in Braveheart (1995) and the lovable, paternal Police Chief John O'Hagan in Super Troopers (2001).
Has performed in several movies playing a government official in which another actor has amnesia but later discovers they are secret government assasins: The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) where the amnesia victim is actress Geena Davis, The Bourne Identity (2002) with Matt Damon having the amnesia, and also X2 (2003) where the victim is played by Hugh Jackman.
His second child with his wife Nicole Ansari-Cox is due in October 2004.
Has no fewer than three roles in common with Anthony Hopkins. They have both played Titus Andronicus, and both of them played King Lear while the other was simultaneously playing Hannibal Lecter.
Alumnus of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
The scene in X2 (2003) where Magneto escapes from prison is modeled after Hannibal Lecter's escape in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - the sequel to Cox's film Manhunter (1986), in which he played Lecter.
He and Anthony Hopkins both have a connection to Narnia. In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Cox voices the titular Lion, Alsan. C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, was played by Anthony Hopkins in Shadowlands (1993).
Member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford Upon Avon, England, where he is most recognized for his performance of 'King Lear'.
After graduating from LAMDA, he spent several seasons with the Royal National Theatre in London, England.
Appears in Manhunter (1986) with Joan Allen. Each of them later went on to work with the other's successor. Cox's successor as Lecter, Anthony Hopkins, appeared in Nixon (1995) with Allen. Cox worked with Allen's successor, Emily Watson, in The Boxer (1997).
Backed out of his contract after filming the second of the BBC/Celtic Sharpe series of films after complaining of poor working conditions in the Ukraine as well as becoming repeatedly ill because of them. He was replaced by Michael Byrne, who was featured in the next three Sharpe films.
Although it is indicated in X2 (2003) that his character (William Stryker) is at least 20 years older than Bruce Davison's character (Senator Kelly), in real life, he is only 27 days older.
Considered "the most prolific Scottish actor of his generation," Brian Cox won the 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for his portrayal of Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering in the TNT original film Nuremberg, for which he also received SAG and Golden Globe Award nominations. His hilarious guest-starring role as Harry Moon on NBC's hit television series Frasier earned his second Emmy nomination in 2002.
He recently wrapped filming the comedy The Ringer, produced by the Farrelly Brothers.
At the beginning of 2003, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth honored Cox with a CBE (Commander of the British Empire). He also received a 2003 SAG Award nomination (his second) as part of the ensemble cast of Spike Jonze's Adaptation, in which he has a scene-stealing cameo as Hollywood's screenwriting guru Robert McKee. He also received rave reviews for his portrayal of non-mutant villain General William Stryker in the summer blockbuster X-Men 2.
In 2002, Cox was featured in seven films, which grossed an impressive $347 million at the box office. His memorable performances include 25th Hour, The Ring, Adaptation, The Bourne Identity and The Rookie.
Cox's masterful portrayal of Big John in the critically lauded independent film L.I.E. (official selection of the 2001 Sundance Film Festival) earned an AFI Award Nomination, an Independent Spirit Award Nomination, a Golden Satellite Award and a Boston Film Critics Award for Best Actor.
An accomplished veteran of the London stage, Cox has two Olivier Awards for Best Actor to his credit for his performances in Titus Andronicus at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre and Rat in the Skull for the Royal Court in London. Recent New York theatre credits include Art on Broadway and St. Nicholas at Off Broadway's Primary Stages (Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Actor; Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle nominations). Other theatre credits include Conor McPherson's Dublin Carol at the Royal Court; St. Nicholas at the Bush Theatre in London and the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles; King Lear and Richard III at the National Theatre in London and Skylight at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
Other film work includes The Affair of the Necklace, The Minus Man, For the Love of the Game, Rushmore; The Corrupter; The Boxer; The Long Kiss Goodnight; the Academy Award-winning Braveheart; Academy Award nominee Rob Roy; Hidden Agenda (Special Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival); as well as originating the celluloid Hannibal Lecter in Michael Mann's cult classic Manhunter, based on Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon.
Cox made his television directorial debut for the hit HBO prison drama Oz. He is the author of two books, Salem to Moscow: An Actor's Odyssey and The Lear Diaries.
