 |
Tony Cox | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Anthony Cox March 31, 1958 Uniontown, Alabama, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1980–2016 |
| Height | 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) |
Joseph Anthony Cox (born March 31, 1958) is an American actor known for his roles in Bad Santa , Friday , Me, Myself & Irene , Date Movie , Epic Movie , Disaster Movie, and Leprechaun 2 . He is also known for his role in George Lucas's Willow , as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi , and as the Preacher in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . [1]
Cox was born in New York City, the son of Henrietta Cox-Penn and Joe Cox. He spent his childhood in Uniontown, Alabama, with his grandmother and grandfather, Lottie and Henry Jones. [2] His mother and stepfather, Rudolph (Rudy) Penn, live in College Park, Georgia. By the age of 10 he became an avid drummer. Cox attended Robert C. Hatch High School and graduated in 1976. [3] He met his future wife, Otelia Cox, during high school. They were eventually married in 1981 when Cox was 23 years old. [4] [5]
After high school, Cox attended Alabama State University and originally planned to study music.
Cox decided to pursue acting after watching Billy Barty, a little person who was an actor and founder of the organization Little People of America. Encouraged by relatives and friends, he moved to Los Angeles at age 18. [2] He began taking classes at the Merrick Studio School of Acting with Scriptwriter De De Tillman and soon began working in commercials, film, and television roles. He is better known for his roles in Bad Santa where he played Marcus, the brains of a safe cracking duo, and in Date Movie where he played a parody of Dr. Hitch from Hitch . Cox reprised his role as Marcus in Bad Santa 2 , released in 2016. [3]
Cox also appeared on the TV show Martin in the first season, playing the character Bennie, in which he helps his friend Trey, played by Bushwick Bill, beat up Tommy played by Thomas Mikal Ford, over Tommy allegedly "stealing" his ex-girlfriend.
Cox also appeared in a pivotal role in the Farrelly Brothers' movie Me, Myself & Irene , playing a Mensa International-member limousine driver who steals Jim Carrey's character's wife.
Cox retired from acting in 2016, confirming in a 2023 interview that he decided to take time off following hip surgery and ultimately stepping away from the spotlight altogether. [6]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype | Bad William | |
| 1981 | Nice Dreams | Midget Nut | Credited as Joe Anthony Cox |
| Smokey Bites the Dust | Desk Clerk | ||
| Under the Rainbow | Hotel Rainbow Guest | ||
| 1982 | Penitentiary 2 | Midget | Credited as Joe Anthony Cox |
| Jekyll and Hyde...Together Again | Lawn Jockey #1 | ||
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | Widdle "Willy" Warrick | |
| 1986 | Invaders from Mars | Drone | Credited as Joe Anthony Cox |
| Captain EO | Hooter | Short | |
| Hollywood Zap! | Kong | ||
| 1987 | Valet Girls | Sammy Rodenko | |
| Spaceballs | Dink | ||
| Retribution | Hotel Resident | ||
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | Minister | |
| Willow | Nelwyn Warrior | ||
| I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Wayne Evans | ||
| Rented Lips | Tyrell | ||
| Bird | Pee Wee Marquette | ||
| 1990 | Spaced Invaders | Corporal Pez | |
| Rockula | Big Al | ||
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Station | Uncredited |
| The Dark Backward | Human Xylophone | ||
| 1992 | Mom and Dad Save the World | Blaaatt | |
| 1994 | The Silence of the Hams | Dwarf Guard | |
| Leprechaun 2 | Black Leprechaun | ||
| Blankman | Midget Man | ||
| Ghoulies IV | Ghoulie Dark | Direct-to-video | |
| 1995 | Friday | Mr. Parker | |
| The Fantasticks | Bavarian Baby's Assistant | Credited as Joe Anthony Cox | |
| 2000 | Me,Myself & Irene | Limo Driver | |
| 2003 | Bad Santa | Marcus Skidmore | |
| The Hebrew Hammer | Jamal | ||
| 2005 | Back By Midnight | Prison Guard Smitty | |
| 2006 | Date Movie | Hitch | |
| National Lampoon's TV: The Movie | Stubbs | ||
| 2007 | Epic Movie | Bink | |
| Who's Your Caddy ? | Big Willie Johnson | ||
| 2008 | Disaster Movie | Indiana Jones | |
| 2010 | The Warrior's Way | Eight-Ball | |
| Meet Monica Velour | Petting Zoo Club Owner | ||
| 2011 | The Legend of Awesomest Maximus | Minorities | |
| 2012 | Partysaurus Rex | Chuck E. Duck | Short; Voice [7] |
| Guns, Girls and Gambling | Little Person Elvis | ||
| 2013 | White T | Head Bouncer | |
| Oz the Great and Powerful | Knuck/Sourpuss | ||
| 2015 | Strange Magic | Plum Elf | Voice [7] |
| The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards | Mr. Chubb | ||
| 2016 | Bad Santa 2 | Marcus Skidmore | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century | Private Zedth | Episode: "Shgoratchx!" |
| 1982 | The Greatest American Hero | Circus Dwarf | Episode: "Just Another Three-Ring Circus" |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Bubba/Herald | 2 episodes |
| Pryor's Place | Allen | Episode:"Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb" | |
| Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure | Widdle "Willy" Warrick | Television film, also stunt performer | |
| 1985 | Ewoks: The Battle for Endor | Television film | |
| ABC Weekend Special | Suit Performer | Episode: "The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin" | |
| 1987 | Thirtysomething | Dread | Episode: "Nice Work If You Can Get It" |
| 1990 | Married... with Children | Alien | Episode: "Married...With Aliens" |
| 1992 | In Living Color | Host | Episode: "Black People Award" |
| 1993-1994 | Martin | Mr. Johnson/Bennie | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Mad TV | Mr. White | Episode: "Season 2 Episode 6" |
| 1997 | Claude's Crib | Reenactment Shorty | Episode: "Hometown Hero" |
| The Jamie Foxx Show | Sweet & Low | Episode: "Step Up to Get Down" | |
| 1999 | Stark Raving Mad | Goldy | Episode: "Christmas Cheerleader" |
| 1999-2000 | Linc's | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Frasier | Angel #1 | Episode:"The Proposal" |
| 2004 | Rescue Me | Arlo | 3 episodes |
| Method & Red | N/A | Episode: "Neighborhood Watch" | |
| 2007 | Carpoolers | Seth | Episode: "The Seminar" |
| 2010 | Psych | Himself | Episode:"The Polarizing Express" |
| 2012 | A Fairly Odd Christmas | Elmer the Elder Elf | Television film |
| 2014 | Almost Human | Di Carlo | Episode:"Beholder" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine | Bartender #1 |
| Year | Title | Role | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Over You" | Circus Performer | Timmy T |
| 1996 | "California Love" | Dwarf Soldier | 2Pac |
| 2000 | "Breakout" | Limo Driver | Foo Fighters |
| 2002 | "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" | Midget Officer | Snoop Dogg |
| 2002 | "Get Back" | Midget Dancer | 504 Boyz |
| 2004 | "Just Lose It" | Marcus Skidmore | Eminem |
Eli Herschel Wallach was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. Known for his character actor roles, his entertainment career spanned over six decades. He received a BAFTA Award, a Tony Award, and an Primetime Emmy Award. He also was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1988 and received the Academy Honorary Award in 2010.
Walter Davis Pidgeon was a Canadian-American actor. A major leading man during the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise," Pidgeon earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, for his roles in Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Madame Curie (1943).
Edith Falco is an American actress. A prominent figure in American television, she is known for her roles both on stage and screen and has received numerous accolades including four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as a nomination for a Tony Award.
Anthony Michael Hall is an American actor, producer and comedian. He starred in the teen-centered John Hughes films Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science.
Albert William Upton, known professionally as Willie Aames, is an American actor, film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter.
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in Breaking Away (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), The Big Easy (1986), Innerspace (1987), Great Balls of Fire! (1989), Dragonheart (1996), The Parent Trap (1998), Frequency (2000), The Rookie (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), In Good Company (2004), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), and Vantage Point (2008). Quaid received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Far from Heaven (2002). In 2009, The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.
Bad Santa is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy crime film directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and starring Billy Bob Thornton in the title role, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, John Ritter, and Bernie Mac. It was Ritter's last live-action film appearance before his death on September 11, 2003. The film was dedicated to his memory. The Coen brothers are credited as executive producers. The film was released in North America on November 26, 2003, and was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews and was a commercial success.
Courtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He started his career on stage before moving to film and television. Vance has received various accolades, including a Tony Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Josh James Brolin is an American actor. A son of actor James Brolin, he gained fame in his youth for his role in the adventure film The Goonies (1985). After years of decline, Brolin had a resurgence with his starring role in the crime film No Country for Old Men (2007). Brolin received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying Dan White in the biopic Milk (2008).
Anthony Russell Hale is an American actor and comedian. He is most known for his comedic leading roles in the Fox series Arrested Development as Buster Bluth, and as Gary Walsh on the HBO series Veep. For the latter, Hale won the 2013 and 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Adam Beach is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Victor Joseph in Smoke Signals; Frank Fencepost in Dance Me Outside; Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger; Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt; U.S. Marine Corporal Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers; Private Ben Yahzee in Windtalkers; Dr. Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; NYPD Detective Chester Lake in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; and Officer Jim Chee in the film adaptations of Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits and A Thief of Time. He starred in the Canadian 2012–2014 series Arctic Air and played Slipknot in the 2016 film Suicide Squad. He also performed as Squanto in Disney's historical drama film Squanto: A Warrior's Tale. Most recently he has starred in Hostiles (2017) as Black Hawk and the Netflix original film Juanita (2019) as Jess Gardiner and Edward Nappo in Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog.
Brian Manion Dennehy was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in over 180 films and in many television and stage productions. His film roles included First Blood (1982), Gorky Park (1983), Silverado (1985), Cocoon (1985), F/X (1986), Presumed Innocent (1990), Tommy Boy (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Ratatouille (2007), and Knight of Cups (2015). Dennehy won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role as Willy Loman in the television film Death of a Salesman (2000). Dennehy's final film was Driveways (2019), in which he plays a veteran of the Korean War, living alone, who befriends a young, shy boy who has come with his mother to clean out his deceased aunt's hoarded home.
Me, Myself & Irene is a 2000 American slapstick black comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, and starring Jim Carrey and Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins, Daniel Greene, Anthony Anderson, Jerod Mixon and Mongo Brownlee co-star. The film is about a Rhode Island state trooper named Charlie who, after years of continuously suppressing his rage and feelings, suffers a psychotic breakdown that results in a second personality, Hank. This was Carrey's first role in a 20th Century Fox film, along with being the Farrelly brothers' second film with Carrey since Dumb and Dumber (1994). Filming was done from May 11 to July 29, 1999 in various locations in Rhode Island and Vermont. It was a box office success but received mixed critic reviews.
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Walter White in the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and Hal in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006). He has received a number of awards, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and two Golden Globes, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award.
Melinda Ruth Dillon was an American actress. She received a 1963 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in the original production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Absence of Malice (1981). She is well-known for her role as Mother Parker in the holiday classic A Christmas Story (1983). Her other film roles include Bound for Glory (1976), Slap Shot (1977), F.I.S.T. (1978), The Muppet Movie (1979), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), Captain America (1990), The Prince of Tides (1991), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Magnolia (1999), for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, and Reign Over Me (2007).
Zen Brant Gesner is an American television and movie actor. He is perhaps most recognized for his roles as Sinbad in the syndicated television series The Adventures of Sinbad, and was a regular cast member on the ABC daytime drama All My Children as bad boy and rapist Braden Lavery. More recently he's appeared in Miller Lite's "Man Laws" commercials as one of the "Men Of The Square Table". Gesner also appeared on an episode of the popular sitcom Friends in which he played Rachel Green's date. A graduate of the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Gesner has appeared in several movies since his cinematic debut as "Dale's Man #1" in the 1994 comedy Dumb & Dumber, including Osmosis Jones, Me, Myself & Irene, Shallow Hal (Ralph), and There's Something About Mary. In 2005, he had a small part in the romantic comedy Fever Pitch starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon.
Traylor Elizabeth Howard is an American actress. From 2005 to 2009, Howard played Natalie Teeger in the USA Network television series Monk. She has also starred on the sitcoms Boston Common (1996–1997) and Two Guys and a Girl (1998–2001), while her film credits include Dirty Work (1998), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), and Son of the Mask (2005).
Penn Dayton Badgley is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and Joe Goldberg in the Netflix psychological thriller series You (2018–present).
Sherrone Banfield Moore is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for the University of Michigan. Moore served as Michigan's acting head coach in four games during the national championship-winning 2023 season. He succeeded Jim Harbaugh as head coach in 2024.
The following is a list of unproduced Terry Zwigoff projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American film director Terry Zwigoff has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these productions fell in development hell or were cancelled.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
