James Fox


James William Fox is an English actor, known for his work in film and television. He is a member of the Fox family of actors. His career began in the 1960s through leading roles in films such as The Servant, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Performance.
In the 1970s, Fox took a break from acting to focus on personal and spiritual matters, returning to acting in the early 1980s. Over time, he built a reputation for playing a variety of roles, including upper-class figures and more serious characters, notably in known for his roles in A Passage to India, Patriot Games, The Remains of the Day, Jinnah, Sherlock Holmes, and Effie Gray.
Fox won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for his performance in The Servant, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for A Passage to India. He is also a Golden Globe Award nominee.

Early life

Fox was born on 19 May 1939 in London, the second son of theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. His elder brother is actor Edward Fox and his younger brother is film producer Robert Fox. His maternal grandfather was playwright Frederick Lonsdale. Fox applied successfully to study acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

Early career

Fox first appeared on film as eleven-year-old Toby Miniver in The Miniver Story in 1950. His early screen appearances, both in film and television, were made under his birth name, William Fox.
He appeared in the film The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Fox's father Robin Fox quarrelled bitterly with Tony Richardson over this, having attempted to forbid his friend from giving his son James a part in the film. His father claimed Willie had no talent for acting and should not give up his job in a bank.
In 1964, Fox won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for The Servant, working alongside Dirk Bogarde, Sarah Miles, and Wendy Craig.
On 16 June 1965, Ken Annakin's period aviation film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines was released. In this British period comedy film, Fox is featured among an international ensemble cast including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas, Red Skelton, Benny Hill, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi. Some of the other films he acted in during this time are King Rat, The Chase, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Isadora, and Performance.

Spiritual life and break from acting

After finishing work on Performance, Fox suspended his acting career. The film, which starred Fox and Mick Jagger, was deemed so outrageous that critics at a preview screening walked out, with one film executive's wife reportedly throwing up in the cinema.
In a 2008 interview, he said: "It was just part of my journey...I think my journey was to spend a while away from acting. And I never lost contact with it – watching movies, reading about it... so I didn't feel I missed it."
He became an evangelical Christian, working with the Navigators and devoting himself to the ministry. During this time, the only film in which Fox appeared was No Longer Alone, the story of Joan Winmill Brown, a suicidal woman who was led to faith in Jesus Christ by Ruth Bell Graham.

Return to acting

After an absence from acting of several years, in 1981 Fox appeared on television in the Play for Today "Country" by Trevor Griffiths, a comedy drama set against the 1945 UK parliamentary elections. On film he starred in Stephen Poliakoff's Runners, A Passage to India, and Comrades. He played Anthony Blunt in the BBC play by Alan Bennett, A Question of Attribution. He also portrayed the character of Lord Holmes in Patriot Games, as well as Colonel Ferguson in Farewell to the King and the Nazi-sympathising aristocrat Lord Darlington in The Remains of the Day.
He has since appeared in the 2000 film Sexy Beast, the 2001 adaptation of The Lost World as Prof. Leo Summerlee, Agatha Christie's Poirot – Death on the Nile as Colonel Race, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, playing Mr. Salt, Veruca Salt's father. He appeared in the Doctor Who audio drama Shada, and in 2007, he guest-starred in the British television crime series Waking the Dead. He also appeared opposite his son Laurence Fox in "Allegory of Love", an episode in the third series of Lewis. He was part of the cast of Sherlock Holmes, as Sir Thomas, leading member of a freemason-like secret society.
In 2010, he filmed Cleanskin, a terrorist thriller directed by Hadi Hajaig. In 2011 he played King George V in the film W.E., written and directed by Madonna.
In 2013, he played a lead role alongside Natalie Dormer in the movie A Long Way from Home.

Personal life

Fox married Mary Elizabeth Piper in September 1973, with whom he has five children, including Laurence and Jack. Piper died at their home on 19 April 2020.
Through his daughter Lydia, his son-in-law is actor Richard Ayoade. His former daughter-in-law is actress Billie Piper, who was married to his son Laurence from 2007 to 2016.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1950The Miniver StoryToby Miniver
1950The MagnetJohnny Brent
1962The Loneliness of the Long Distance RunnerGunthorpe
1963TamahineOliver
1963The ServantTony
1965King RatFlight Lieutenant Peter Marlowe
1965Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesRichard Mays
1966The ChaseJason 'Jake' Rogers
1967Thoroughly Modern MillieJimmy Smith
1967ArabellaGiorgio
1968DuffyStephane Calvert
1968IsadoraGordon Craig
1970PerformanceChas Devlin
1983RunnersTom Lindsay
1984Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the ApesLord Charles Esker
1984A Passage to IndiaCyril Fielding
1986Absolute BeginnersHenley of Mayfair
1986The Whistle BlowerLord
1986ComradesGovernor William Norfolk
1987High SeasonPatrick
1989Farewell to the KingColonel Ferguson
1989The Mighty QuinnThomas Elgin
1990The Russia HouseNed
1991Afraid of the DarkFrank
1992Patriot GamesLord William Holmes
1993The Remains of the DayLord Darlington
1997Anna KareninaAleksei Aleksandrovich Karenin
1997Never EverArthur Trevane
1998Shadow RunLandon-Higgins
1998JinnahMountbatten
1999Mickey Blue EyesPhilip Cromwell
2000Up at the VillaSir Edgar Swift
2000Sexy BeastHarry
2000The Golden BowlColonel Bob Assingham
2001Lover's PrayerOld Vladimir
2001The Mystic MasseurMr. Stewart
2004The Prince and MeKing Haraald
2005Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryMr. Salt
2007Mister LonelyThe Pope
2009Sherlock HolmesSir Thomas Rotheram
2010Wide Blue YonderGeorge
2011W.E.King George V
2012CleanskinScott Catesby
2013A Long Way From HomeJoseph
2013The DoubleThe Colonel
2013Effie GraySir Charles Eastlake
2018Surviving Christmas with the RelativesUncle John
2021The Souvenir Part IIMusical Narrator Cameo appearance

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959Armchair TheatreJay MintonEpisode: Light from a Star
1981Play for TodayPhilip CarlionEpisode: Country
1982Nancy AstorWaldorf AstorTV Mini-series
1983Anna PavlovaVictor Dandré
1983The Road to 1984George OrwellTV movie
1989She's Been AwayHugh AmbroseTV movie
1990Never Come BackFosterTV Mini-series
1992A Question of AttributionSir Anthony BluntTV movie
1993Heart of DarknessGosseTV movie
1994The Dwelling PlaceLord FischelTV Mini-series, 3 episodes
1994Doomsday GunSir James WhittingtonTV movie
1994The Old Curiosity ShopThe Single GentlemanTV Mini-series
1995The ChoirThe Dean, Hugh CavendishTV Mini-series, 5 episodes
1996Gulliver's TravelsDr. BatesTV Mini-series
2001ArmadilloSir Simon Sherrifmuir
2001The Lost WorldProf. Leo SummerleeTV movie
2002The Falklands PlayLord Carrington KCMG MC PC
2003Cambridge SpiesLord HalifaxTV Mini-series
2003Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a FairytaleJonas CollinTV movie
2004Agatha Christie's PoirotColonel RaceEpisode: Death on the Nile
2005Agatha Christie's MarpleColonel Arthur BantryEpisode: The Body in the Library
2005ColditzLt. Colonel Jimmy FordhamTV Mini-series
2005Absolute PowerGerald ThurnhamEpisode: Identity Crisis
2006Suez: A Very British CrisisAnthony EdenTV documentary
2007Waking the DeadDr Bruno RivelliEpisode: Mask of Sanity
2008New TricksIan FiggisEpisode: Spare Parts
2009LewisProfessor Norman DearingEpisode: Allegory of Love
2009MargaretCharles PowellTV movie
2009Red Riding 1980Philip EvansTV movie
2010Midsomer MurdersSir Michael FieldingEpisode: Master Class
2011Law & Order: UKDr. Edward AustenEpisode: The Wrong Man
2012MerlinKing RodorEpisode: Another's Sorrow
2013UtopiaThe Assistant6 episodes
2013The Great Train RobberyHenry BrookeTV movie
2013Downton AbbeyLord AysgarthEpisode: The London Season
2014Ludlow
20141864Lord PalmerstonMiniseries
2015Death in ParadiseMartin Goodman2 episodes
2015London SpyJamesEpisode: Blue