Brian Cox became a character actor because Hollywood creeped him out

When we think of our favorite Brian Cox performances, we’re talking Manhunter, Succession, Rob Roy, Nuremberg, L.I.E., and others. But by and large, he would rather not be the center of it all; in fact, he tried to design his career as a character actor after being completely creeped out by the idea of Hollywood.

In an extensive interview now available on The Criterion Channel, Brian Cox was asked about his decision to avoid the leading man life so he could focus on smaller performances, to which he said, “I came to that decision much later because I had been a leading actor…back in England. I’d done a lot of theater, a lot of television, stuff like that. But when I decided to come [to the U.S.], I just didn’t want to go that route…I came here in the ’70s. I remember going to Hollywood…and I really didn’t like it. It really gave me the creeps, actually. I thought, ‘Well, I got that out of my system, right?’ But, I still wanted to do movies, and I wanted to do American movies because that was my inspiration when I was a child. So what happened was that I decided to be a character actor. I would play those parts.”

Those parts would find him shying away from the marquee, which allowed him to take on more supporting roles than lead. Whether in Rushmore or Super Troopers or 25th Hour, Brian Cox never really fails to disappoint in any genre he decides to partake in. Through performances like these – which he considers a challenge in a way a leading role can’t offer – Brian Cox has formed a distinct place in the business. “I thought, ‘That’s my job. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll be happy to do that.’ And also, the challenge of giving an arc to a part, which is really difficult when you’ve only got three scenes and there doesn’t seem to be a connection…So that’s why I decided to be a character actor.” So that’s the kind of party he’s after…

There are currently three Brian Cox films available on The Criterion Channel: 1975’s In Celebration, 1986’s Manhunter and 2008 prison breakout movie The Escapist.

What is your favorite Brian Cox performance? Give us your picks in the comments section below.

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