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Brian Cox

Brian Cox brings the weight of the theatre to the screen, but rarely lets that weight slow him down. The Scottish actor can be imposing, dryly funny or quietly vulnerable, often shifting between those qualities within the same performance. That range has carried him from Shakespeare and major repertory companies to thrillers, historical dramas, franchise films and television. Born in Dundee on 1 June 1946, Cox began acting at Dundee Repertory Theatre at 14. He later trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and became a founding member of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. His extensive stage career included seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre, acclaimed performances in King Lear and Titus Andronicus, and two Laurence Olivier Awards. His screen work developed alongside that formidable theatre career. In 1986, Cox played Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter, marking the character’s first film appearance. He later brought authority and menace to roles including Argyle Wallace in Braveheart, Dr. Nelson Guggenheim in Rushmore, Ward Abbott in The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy, William Stryker in X2: X-Men United and Agamemnon in Troy. Even in supporting parts, Cox has a way of suggesting that his character understands the room—and may be controlling it. He has also moved easily between severity and comedy, appearing as Captain O’Hagan in Super Troopers, Robert McKee in Adaptation and Ivan Simanov in RED. His portrayal of Hermann Göring in Nuremberg earned him an Emmy Award, while The Escapist brought a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Acting Performance. For television audiences, Cox became especially closely associated with Logan Roy, the billionaire media patriarch at the centre of Succession. The role drew on his gift for forceful authority while giving him room to explore pride, fury, calculation and frailty. It was a fitting showcase for an actor whose career has never depended on a single type of part, only on the conviction he brings to each one.