Brian Cox CBE is one of Britain’s most formidable actors, celebrated for a career that spans classical theatre, landmark cinema, and television. Rising to early prominence through his portrayal of King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Cox went on to define a commanding screen presence in major productions including X-Men 2, Troy, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He also holds a unique place in film history as the first actor to portray Hannibal Lecter on screen, in Michael Mann’s Manhunter (1986).