Brian Cox

The accomplished Shakespearean actor Brian Cox, became well-known for his world tour as "King Lear" with the National Theater, and brought that same commanding delivery and strong presence to countless roles as movie bad guys, starting with his chilling portrayal of Hannibal Leckter in Michael Mann's cult thriller, "Manhunter" (1986). That film proved to be a false start in the American movie business, but Cox returned a decade later, and this time, his solid frame and mastery of accents made him a busy supporting player in blockbusters like "Rob Roy" (1995) and "The Bourne Identity" (2002), as well as acclaimed indie fare from Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, and Woody Allen. Cox's occasional leading roles did not go unnoticed, with the actor earning and Emmy for portraying infamous Nazi Hermann Goering in the TNT movie "Nuremberg" (TNT, 2000). Cox's key roles in comedies like "Super Troopers" (2001) further demonstrated his versatility across genres and nations, while his countrymen revered him as one of the finest actors ever to emerge from Scotland.