BRIAN COX

Date of Birth: June 1, 1946

This Dundee, Scotland native began his professional stage career at age 14 when he joined Dundee Repertory Theatre as an apprentice. Two years later, he enrolled in the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Over the next few years, Cox trained and performed at LAMDA, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Focusing much of his time on Shakespearian plays, Cox soon built a solid stage resumé which included As You Like It, the title role in Peer Gynt, Romeo & Juliet, Othello, When We Dead Awaken, In Celebration, Hedda Gabler and Cromwell.

After years on stage, Cox started directing stage performances such as The Man with a Flower in His Mouth and The Stronger, both in 1973, and I Love My Love in 1982 for the London stage.

Cox landed roles in a number of film and television productions, but it wasn't until 1986's Manhunter in which he played Dr. Hannibal Lecter, that film audiences sat up and took notice. In the years that followed, Cox appeared in several TV-movies, mini-series and specials both in England and the US including King Lear, Florence Nightingale and Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun. In 2000 he played Reichmarshal Hermann Goering in the telefilm, Nuremberg, for which he earned multiple awards and nominations from the Golden Globes, Emmys and BAFTA.

With his busy television and theatre schedule through the years, Cox's film appearances have been sporadic at best. He has, however, showcased a diverse array of characters in film including a policeman investigating a plot to kill the British prime minister in Hidden Agenda (1990) and a wealthy supporter of the title character's rival in Iron Will (1994), as well as characters in The Prince of Jutland (1994), Rob Roy, Braveheart (both 1995), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), and Rushmore (1998).

Cox has two children -- Alan, who has become an actor, and daughter Margaret, from his longtime marriage to Caroline Burt. While off set and stage, Cox has spent some time passing along his skills to future thespians through courses at Harvard University, Cal Arts and via a video training course, "Acting and Tragedy."

-http://www.tribute.ca/all_actors/bios/1944.htm