Fox, James 1939–

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Fox, James 1939–

(William Fox)

PERSONAL

Full name, James William Fox; born May 19, 1939, in London, England; son of Robin (a theatrical agent) and Angela Muriel Darita (a writer and actress; maiden name, Worthington) Fox; brother of Edward Charles Morice Fox (an actor) and Robert Michael John Fox (a producer); half brother of Daniel Chatto (an actor); married Mary Elizabeth Piper, 1973; children: Thomas, Robin, Laurence (an actor), Lydia, Jack. Education: Attended Central School of Speech and Drama, London. Religion: Evangelical Christian.

Addresses: Agent—Peters, Fraser and Dunlop, Drury House, 34-43 Russell St., London WC2B 5HA, England.

Career: Actor. Navigators, worked as an evangelist missionary, 1970–79; worked as an assistant stage manager for a touring theatre company; also worked in advertising. Military service: British Army, Coldstream Guard, 1959–61.

Awards, Honors: Film Award, most promising newcomer to leading film roles, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1964, for The Servant; nomination for Golden Laurel, new male face, Laurel awards, Producers Guild of America, 1965; Golden Globe Award nomination, most promising male newcomer, 1966, for Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes; Film Award nomination, best actor in a supporting role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1986, for A Passage to India.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

(As William Fox) Johnny Brent, The Magnet, General Films Distributors, 1950.

Toby Miniver, The Miniver Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1950.

(As William Fox) Porter, One Wild Oat, Eros Film Distributors, 1951.

Gunthorpe (Ranley School runner), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (also known as Rebel with a Cause), Continental Distributing, 1962.

(As William Fox) Philip Goodwin, What Every Woman Wants, United Artists, 1962.

Tony, The Servant, Elstree/Sprinbok Productions, 1963, Landau Releasing Organization, 1964.

Oliver, Tamahine, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1964.

Flight lieutenant Peter Marlow, King Rat, Columbia, 1965.

Richard Mays, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes (also known as Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1965.

Jason "Jake" Rogers, The Chase, Columbia, 1966.

Jimmy Smith, Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical), Universal, 1967.

Gordon Craig, Isadora (also known as The Loves of Isadora), Universal, 1968.

Stefane Calvert, Duffy, Columbia, 1968.

Giorgio, Arabella (also known as Ragazza del Charleston), Universal, 1969.

Chas Devlin, Performance, Warner Bros., 1970.

Alan Richards, No Longer Alone, WorldWide Pictures, 1978.

Tom Lindsay, Runners, Cinegate, 1983.

Lord Charles Esker, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Warner Bros., 1984.

Richard Fielding, A Passage to India, Columbia, 1984.

Victor d'Andre, Pavlova—A Woman for All Time (also known as Anna Pavlova, The Divine Anna, Pavlova, and A Woman for All Time), Poseidon Productions, 1985.

Henley of Mayfair, Absolute Beginners, Orion, 1986.

Norfolk, Comrades, Film Four International, 1986.

Lord, The Whistle Blower, Hemdale Releasing, 1987.

Patrick, High Season, Hemdale Releasing, 1987.

Colonel Ferguson, Farewell to the King, Orion, 1989.

George Farrell, Boys in the Island, 1989.

Hugh Ambrose, She's Been Away, BBC Films, 1989.

Thomas Elgin, The Mighty Quinn (also known as Finding Mawbee), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1989.

Ned, The Russia House, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1990.

Frank, Afraid of the Dark (also known as Double vue), Fine Line Features, 1991.

Jacques, As You Like It, Sands Films, 1992.

William (Lord Holmes), Patriot Games, Paramount, 1992.

Hugo Paynter, Hostage (also known as El proximo enemigo), Skouras Pictures, 1993.

Lord Darlington, The Remains of the Day, Columbia, 1993.

Arthur Trevane, Never Ever (also known as The Circle of Passion), Trimark Pictures, 1996.

Karenin, Anna Karenina (also known as Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"), Warner Bros., 1997.

Himself, Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (documentary), Total Performance, 1998.

Himself, Joseph Losey: The Man with Four Names (documentary), Bitters End, 1998.

Landon-Higgins, Shadow Run, Majestic Films & Television, 1998.

Richard Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah (also known as Mohammed Ali Jinnah), 1998.

Philip Cromwell, Mickey Blue Eyes, Warner Bros., 1999.

Harry, Sexy Beast, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2000.

Old Vladimir (narrator), All Forgotten (also known as Lover's Prayer), Seven Hills Productions, 2000.

Sir Edgar Swift, Up at the Villa, October Films, 2000.

Colonel Bob Assingham, The Golden Bowl (also known as La coupe d'or), Lions Gate Films, 2001.

Mr. Stewart, The Mystic Masseur, ThinkFilm, 2002.

King Haraald, The Prince & Me, Paramount/Lions Gate Films, 2004.

Sebastian Nagel, The Freediver, Mainline Releasing, 2004.

Mr. Salt, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Warner Bros., 2005, IMAX version released as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The IMAX Experience.

Light in the Sky, c. 2005.

Some sources cite appearances in other films, including The Arp Statue, 1971; an appearance as William Bradford in The New World, 1986; an appearance in The Boiler Room (also known as Lost in Hollywood), 1992; as well as an appearance in I cavalieri che ferro l'impresa (also known as The Knights of the Quest and The Knights Who Made the Enterprise), Duea Film/Quinta Communications/Radiotelevisione Italiana, 2001. Some sources cite an appearance as Gregory in The Lavender Hill Mob, Universal, 1951 while billed as William Fox.

Television Appearances; Series:

Waldorf Astor, Nancy Astor, BBC-2, 1982, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as Masterpiece Theatre: Nancy Astor), PBS, 1984.

Angus Meikle, A Perfect Hero, London Weekend Television, 1991, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1992.

Hugh Cavendish (dean), The Choir, BBC, 1995, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, c. 1995.

Interviewer, Private View, Warner Music, beginning 2000.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Martyn, Love Is Old, Love Is New, BBC, 1982.

Mansfield Markham, Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun, CBS, 1988.

Foster, Never Come Back, BBC, 1989, also broadcast in the United States.

Simon Hall, Headhunters, BBC, 1992.

Corporal Henry Evelyn Ridley, Fall from Grace (also known as Fortitude), CBS, 1994.

Lord Fischel, The Dwelling Place, Tyne Tees Television, 1994.

Single gentleman, The Old Curiosity Shop, The Disney Channel, 1995.

Dr. Bates, Gulliver's Travels, NBC, 1996.

Longman, Kings in Grass Castles, 7 Network (Australia), 1997.

Captain Farewell, Shaka Zulu: The Citadel, syndicated, 2000.

Jonas Collin, Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairy Tale, The Hallmark Channel, 2001.

Professor Leo Summerlee, The Lost World (also known as Die Vergessene Welt), BBC and Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

Willoughby Stevens, Queens Counsel (QC), Trial & Retribution VI, Independent Television, 2002.

Lord Halifax, Cambridge Spies, BBC, 2003.

Lieutenant colonel Jimmy Fordham, Colditz (also known as Escape from Colditz and Love from Colditz), Independent Television, 2005.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Robert Harris, Sun Child, Yorkshire Television, 1988.

Sir Anthony Blunt, A Question of Attribution, BBC, c. 1992, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1992.

Gosse, Heart of Darkness, TNT, 1994.

Sir James Whittington, Doomsday Gun, HBO, 1994.

Sir Edward Elgar, Elgar's 10th Muse, Channel 4 (England), 1995.

Milton Friedkin, Metropolis, Carlton Television (some sources cite Granada Television), 2000.

Sir Simon Sherrifmuir, Armadillo, BBC, 2001, Arts and Entertainment, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Philip Carlion, "Country," Play for Today (also known as Country: A Tory Story and Play for Today: Country), BBC, 1981.

George Orwell, The Road to 1984, Granada Television, 1984.

Lord William Holmes, The Secret World of Spying, 1992.

Himself, The Making of a Mobster: "Mickey Blue Eyes," 1999.

(In archive footage) Lord Holmes, Patriot Games: Up Close, 2002.

Narrator, Visconti (also known as The Life and Times of Count Luchino Visconti), BBC, 2002.

Peter (sixth Baron Carrington), The Falklands Play, BBC-4, 2002.

Himself, The Agatha Christie Code, Independent Television, 2005.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 18th Annual American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Sir David Lean, ABC 1990.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Paul, "To the Very End," Espionage, NBC, 1963.

Skipperton, "L'epouvantail," Les cadavres exquis de Patricia Highsmith (also known as Patricia Highsmith's Tales and Cadavres exquis), BBC, 1990.

Himself, "A Very British Picture," Hollywood U.K., BBC, 1993.

Colonel Arthur Bantry, "The Body in the Library," Marple (also known as Agatha Christie's "Marple" and Marple: The Body in the Library), Independent Television, Arts and Entertainment, and Mystery!, PBS, 2004.

Colonel Johnny Race, "Death on the Nile," Poirot (also known as Agatha Christie's "Poirot" and Poirot: Death on the Nile), Independent Television, Arts and Entertainment, and Mystery!, PBS, 2004.

Gerald Thurnham, "The Nation's Favourite," Absolute Power, BBC, 2005.

Himself, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," HBO First Look, HBO, 2005.

Stage Appearances:

Mikhail Lvovich Astrov, Uncle Vanya, Circle in the Square Uptown, New York City, 1995.

Internet Appearances:

Professor Chronotis, Doctor Who: Shada, BBCi (England), beginning 2003.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

(In archive clip from "Absolute Beginners") Henley of Mayfair, Bowie: The Video Collection, Picture Music International, 1993.

Himself, Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England's Fatal Flaw, Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 2001.

Himself, The Remains of the Day: The Filmmaker's Journey, Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 2001.

(In archive clip from "Absolute Beginners") Henley of Mayfair, Best of Bowie, Ventura Distribution, 2002.

Music Videos:

David Bowie, "Absolute Beginners," 1986.

WRITINGS

Nonfiction:

Comeback: An Actor's Direction (autobiography), W. B. Eerdmans, 1983.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Radio Times, March 9, 1996, p. 25.