Charlie Cox

Early life

Cox was born in London, England, and raised in East Sussex. He is the son of Patricia (née Harley) and Andrew Frederick Seaforth Cox, a publisher. He is the youngest of five children and has one brother and three half-siblings from his father's first marriage.

Cox was raised Catholic and was educated at two private boarding schools: Ashdown House School in the village of Forest Row in East Sussex and Sherborne School in the market town of Sherborne in Dorset. Growing up, Cox did not consider a career in acting and only seriously considered it during his last few years of school. After graduating from Sherborne in 2001, he moved to London and began training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School the following year.

Career

Early career (2002–2006)

Cox was cast in his first professional role at age eighteen in the psychological thriller Dot the i, released in 2003. Following filming, he enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In the summer following his first year of study, He was cast as Lorenzo in the 2004 Al Pacino-vehicle The Merchant of Venice, breaking the school's policy of not allowing students to audition for outside productions. Subsequently, he decided not to return to school and continued working, appearing in guest spots on TV and supporting roles in movies like the 2005 historical drama Casanova and the 2006 BBC sci-fi film A for Andromeda.

Prominence in television and film (2007–2014)

Cox's breakout role was as the main protagonist, Tristan Thorn, in the 2007 fantasy film Stardust, in which he starred opposite Claire Danes. The film was successful with both critics and audiences globally and introduced Cox to a wider audience. He made his West End debut the following year in Harold Pinter's The Lover/The Collection at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. It began previews on 15 January 2008 and opened on 29 January.

He was next seen in the 2008 film Stone of Destiny as Ian Hamilton and in the 2009 historical drama Glorious 39, which were widely released in the United Kingdom. In 2010 he had the title role in Heinrich von Kleist's The Prince of Homburg at the Donmar Warehouse in London. In September of that year, he played the closeted gay Duke of Crowborough in the first episode of the ITV drama series Downton Abbey. In 2011 he played St. Josemaría Escrivá in the Roland Joffé film There Be Dragons and Ishmael in Encore's Moby Dick miniseries.

Also in 2011, he signed on for a recurring role in the second season of the Martin Scorsese-produced HBO original series Boardwalk Empire as Owen Sleater, an Irish enforcer with ties to the IRA. His character became a regular for the series' third season, broadcast in September 2012. He received a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble in 2011 and another nomination the following year.

In 2013 he starred in the independent film Hello Carter and the BBC Cold War thriller Legacy. He had lead roles in two unproduced CBS TV pilots: a political drama titled The Ordained in February 2013 and an untitled Wall Street show executive-produced by John Cusack in February 2014. At the end of 2013, production began on the film The Theory of Everything, where Cox portrays Jonathan Hellyer Jones, the second husband of Jane Hawking. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014 and was nominated for Best Picture at the 2015 Academy Awards.

''Daredevil'' (2015–2018)

Cox portrayed Matt Murdock in Marvel's Daredevil TV series as well as the 2017 team-up miniseries event The Defenders, produced and released through Netflix. His performance was praised and given a Helen Keller Achievement Award for his role by the American Foundation for the Blind.

It was announced that Cox had won the role in May 2014, and later reported that Marvel had considered him for it since 2012. Production on the first season began in summer 2014, and it premiered on Netflix in April 2015. It ran for three seasons and was produced over four years, concluding in late 2018. In the following years, Cox shared his interest in reprising the role in a future project, also noting his contractual obligations by Marvel Studios to do so.

Between filming seasons of Daredevil, Cox made his New York theater debut, co-starring in the off-Broadway production of Incognito at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In late 2017 it was announced that he had joined the cast of Stripped, a thriller produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who also produced Cox's breakout film Stardust, but it was never produced. He also acted opposite Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone, and others in the 2018 film King of Thieves, based on the true story of the 2015 Hatton Garden jewelry heist in London; it reunited him with James Marsh, who directed him in 2014's The Theory of Everything.

New projects (2019–2021)

After Daredevil abruptly ended, Cox took the opportunity to star opposite Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton in the West End production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal, which opened on 14 March 2019 and closed on 8 June. Cox was sought for the role by director Jamie Lloyd, who had previously directed him in the 2008 production of the Pinter play The Lover and The Collection. Betrayal transferred to Broadway with the original cast for a 17-week limited engagement, beginning previews on 14 August and closing on 8 December 2019.

During this period, Cox also took part in some of his friends' projects; in late 2018 he acted in the short film The Knot, directed by Daredevil and The Defenders script supervisor Rebecca Schwab, and in a 2019 episode of Daredevil costar Deborah Ann Woll's Dungeons & Dragons internet show Relics and Rarities.

In fall 2020, Cox began filming the RTÉ Dublin crime series Kin, in which he stars with Aidan Gillen, Clare Dunne, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Ciarán Hinds, and Emmett Scanlan. The eight-part series was released on 9 September 2021, on AMC+ in the US and Canada, and on 12 September 2021, on RTE in Ireland. The show's second season was broadcast in 2023.

Return to ''Daredevil'' (2022–present)

In December 2021, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that Cox would be reprising the role of Daredevil in the studio's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) productions; his first project "remain[ed] to be seen" at that time. The first Marvel Studios production he appeared in was Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), in which Matt Murdock gives legal advice to Peter Parker for ostensibly murdering Mysterio. In July 2022, he was confirmed to be reprising the role in the Disney+ television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) and Echo (2024). In 2025, he starred in his own revival series Daredevil: Born Again (2025–present) and additionally lent his voice to the character in the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. In August 2024, Feige confirmed Daredevil: Born Again was renewed for a second season, with Cox confirming filming will start by March 2025. Filming wrapped in July of that same year. Producer Brad Winderbaum confirmed a third season was in development in September 2025, with filming set to begin in 2026.

Cox also starred in the British spy drama miniseries Treason, which premiered on Netflix on 26 December 2022, and the French-developed video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as Gustave. His performance in Expedition 33 received acclaim, and was nominated for the "Best Performance" award at The Game Awards 2025.

Personal life

In September 2018, Cox married television producer Samantha Thomas, with whom he has a daughter and a son. At the time of their wedding, they both worked for Marvel Television, where Thomas was Vice President of Original Programming and Cox starred in Daredevil. Subsequently, Thomas was the Executive Vice President of BRON Studios's television division; during her tenure, she and Cox collaborated on the crime drama series Kin. The family lives in Connecticut. Cox has previously lived in New York City, Los Angeles, and in the Chelsea and Highbury neighbourhoods of London. In January 2025, Cox became an American citizen through naturalisation, making him a dual citizen of the UK and US.

During the late 2000s in Los Angeles, Cox was part of a close group of friends that included British actors Eddie Redmayne, Andrew Garfield, Jamie Dornan, and Robert Pattinson, among others. He is a football fan and supports Arsenal F.C.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

References

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2. "UPI Almanac for Friday, Dec. 15, 2017". [[United Press International]].
3. (29 January 2008). "Charlie Cox: Star turn". [[The Independent]].
4. (2015-02-01). "EJ Podcast #063 with Charlie Cox".
5. (2003). "Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage". [[Burke's Peerage]].
6. (4 September 2009). "British actors line up for film about life of Opus Dei founder". Catholic Online.
7. (3 May 2011). "Interview: Charlie Cox". Busted Halo.
8. Hassell, Rachel. (2015). "Sherborne School and the Oscars".
9. (13 November 2018). "Last Call with Carson Daly S18 E38".
10. Weber, Bruce. (15 June 2016). "Charlie Cox Takes Off the 'Daredevil' Mask to Go 'Incognito'". The New York Times.
11. Olsen, Mark. (2007-08-05). "'Stardust' gave him the space to grow". Los Angeles Times.
12. "Stardust (2007)".
13. Still, Jennifer. "The Eternal Magic of Stardust, as Explained by Charlie Cox".
14. Billington, Michael. (30 January 2008). "Theatre review: The Lover/The Collection / Comedy Theatre, London".
15. Shaw, Marty. (1 February 2011). "Charlie Cox Joins The Boardwalk Empire".
16. Andreeva, Nellie. (31 January 2011). "TV Castings: Teri Polo, Darrell Hammond book pilots, ''Boardwalk'' adds a Recurring".
17. Andreeva, Nellie. (2013-02-22). "Charlie Cox To Play The Lead in CBS Pilot 'The Ordained'". Deadline.
18. "'Boardwalk Empire's' Charlie Cox to Star in CBS' Wall Street Drama". The Hollywood Reporter.
19. (27 May 2014). "Charlie Cox to Star in 'Daredevil' TV Series for Marvel and Netflix". [[Variety (magazine).
20. "Helen Keller Achievement Awards 2015". American Foundation for the Blind.
21. Andreeva, Nellie. (2014-05-27). "Charlie Cox To Play The Lead In Marvel's Netflix Series 'Daredevil'".
22. "7 Things We Learned About Netflix's New 'Daredevil' series".
23. McLevy, Alex. (24 January 2019). "Charlie Cox on working with Michael Caine, Daredevil, and why we like on-screen criminals".
24. Burlingame, Russ. (September 6, 2017). "Daredevil's Charlie Cox is Contractually Obligated to do Marvel Movies if They Ask".
25. "Manhattan Theatre Club – Incognito".
26. Busch, Anita. (2017-09-07). "Patrick O'Brien To Make Directorial Debut in 'Stripped' From Di Bonaventura Pics".
27. Kay, Jeremy. (2018-10-24). "Radiant Films to launch AFM sales on 'Stripped' starring Charlie Cox".
28. (12 May 2017). "Hatton Garden Heist Pic Gets Studiocanal Backing".
29. Williams, Stacey. (2019-01-10). "Daredevil's Charlie Cox joins Tom Hiddleston on stage in Pinter's Betrayal".
30. "Betrayal - FAQS".
31. McPhee, Ryan. (2019-06-27). "Tom Hiddleston Will Make Broadway Debut in Betrayal".
32. "THE KNOT A Psychological Horror Short Film".
33. "Relics and Rarities {{!}} Geek and Sundry. He is also going to play as Daredevil in MCU Movies".
34. White, Peter. (2020-11-06). "Aidan Gillen, Charlie Cox & Clare Dunne To Star In Irish TV Drama 'Kin' From Bron Studios, Headline Pictures & NENT Studios For RTÉ".
35. "KIN – RTE TV Series – Supporting Roles - Character Briefs".
36. O'Connell, Sean. (December 5, 2021). "Kevin Feige Confirms Daredevil Casting In The MCU And Fans Will Be Pumped".
37. Acuna, Kirsten. "'Spider-Man: No Way Home' brings back a beloved character fans never thought they'd see again".
38. (July 7, 2022). "Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio Returning for Marvel Series 'Echo'".
39. (July 22, 2022). "Charlie Cox will return as Daredevil for 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year'".
40. [https://deadline.com/2024/08/daredevil-born-again-d23-1236036322/ 'Daredevil: Born Again' Trailer Shows Wilson Fisk & Matt Murdock Going Head-To-Head; Season 2 Shooting Soon – D23]
41. [https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/marvel-daredevil-born-again-season-2-filming-start-charlie-cox-mcu-series/ Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Filming Start Confirmed by Charlie Cox]
42. Phillips, Tom [https://www.ign.com/articles/daredevil-born-again-officially-greenlit-for-season-3-shooting-starts-next-year Daredevil: Born Again Officially Greenlit for Season 3, Shooting Starts Next Year] IGN, September 18, 2025
43. (2022-03-14). "'Treason': Ciarán Hinds Joins Charlie Cox in Netflix Spy Drama".
44. (2024-10-20). "Clair Obscur Trailer Reveals Daredevil Star Charlie Cox's Surprising New Role".
45. Writer, Sophie McEvoy Staff. (2025-11-18). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads Game Awards 2025 nominations".
46. (17 February 2022). "Charlie Cox".
47. Chloe Schama. (1 October 2019). "Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, and Charlie Cox Are Stuck in a Miserable Love Triangle That Makes Them Perfectly Happy".
48. Barndhardt, Adam. (April 30, 2020). "Exclusive Interview with Charlie Cox". ComicBook.
49. McKenna Aiello. (21 October 2016). "Charlie Cox Welcomes His First Baby With Samantha Thomas".
50. "Produced By Conference - 2013 - Speakers".
51. Hipes, Patrick. (2020-12-03). "Bron Boosts TV Team, Adds Samantha Thomas As EVP And Emma Fleischer As Creative Producer".
52. "BANFF Spark 2021 - Samantha Thomas".
53. Riley, Jenelle. (2019-08-14). "'Betrayal' Cast Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton and Charlie Cox on Pinter, Broadway and Fate".
54. Stone, Simon. (2018-02-06). "Why I'm selling my #unique space: This week, we talk to actor, Charlie Cox, about his London home and why its time to move on.". Unique Property Company.
55. Property & Travel TV. (2018-02-06). "We meet actor Charlie Cox, as he lists his London home for sale".
56. (18 February 2025). "How Daredevil rescued Charlie Cox".
57. Edel, Victoria. (2022-04-07). "Eddie Redmayne on Living in LA With Old Friends Andrew Garfield and Robert Pattinson".
58. Young, Caroline. (2024-10-13). "Andrew Garfield Opens Up About The Most ‘Amazing’ Aspect Of His Bond With Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne And Other Actors He Entered Hollywood With".
59. "Charlie Cox interview: 'Maybe I'm not good enough to play Bond'". The Independent.
60. (2017-10-08). "Surprise Guest Charlie Cox Expresses His Love For Arsenal at NYCC". Bleeding Cool.
61. (2008-02-21). "Cox: I bought a giant octopus". Metro.
62. Villei, Matt. (2022-03-14). "'Treason': Ciarán Hinds Joins Charlie Cox in Netflix Spy Drama".
63. Lovitt, Maggie. (2022-07-22). "Charlie Cox Returns as Daredevil in 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year' Animated Series".
64. Kim, Matt. (May 19, 2022). "A New Daredevil Series Is in the Works at Disney Plus".
65. (19 May 2022). "Marvel's Daredevil being revived as Disney+ series".
66. Svedberg-Yen, Jennifer. (October 16, 2024). "Introducing the cast of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33".