Who is Brian Cox from 007: Road To A Million? Details explored

007: Road To A Million is a James Bond-inspired reality series on Amazon Prime Video. Nine pairs of contestants competed against each other in the first season. They tackled a variety of spy-themed challenges and traveled to different locations around the globe to win a prize of £1 million. 

Host Brian Cox was signed up for a unique, mysterious role of a Controller, who acts as a puppet-master for the contestants. Now, he has returned to this role for the second season in 007: Road To A Million on Amazon Prime Video, which is releasing worldwide on August 22, 2025.

Brian Cox returns in 007: Road To A Million on Prime Video

Producers of Bond films, 72 Films, MGM Television, in association with Eon Productions, started the development with the idea of putting ordinary people into a James Bond adventure. They released the first season on Amazon Prime Video on November 10, 2023.

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson from Eon Productions serve as the executive producers of the show. This season would feature eight pairs instead of nine, with new global locations added and more elevated spy themes, making it more dynamic and dramatic as described by Prime Video in its statement:

"From Bangkok’s Sinn Sathorn Tower to shark-infested waters in the Bahamas and facing live scorpions in Thailand,  firing guns in a historic Hacienda in Mexico, and braving dizzying Alpine cable cars. They face epic challenges testing skills and relationships, as they embark on a thrilling 007-inspired global adventure."

The Succession star, Brian Cox, will look after the contestants from afar, in a control room, this time with a right-hand lady, Sofia (Frances McNamee). He will challenge the contestants, allot them tasks, and present his commentary on their performance. 

Brian Cox said,

"Returning as The Controller this time around, the series feels more high-octane, more immersive, and definitely more Bond. The challenges are bigger, the drama runs deeper, and I’ve got the best seat in the house to watch it unfold."

Brian Cox's career and more details explored

Brian Cox is an Emmy award-winning Scottish veteran, well known globally for his stage and screen presence for decades. His iconic role of Logan Roy in the HBO series Succession earned him worldwide fame. He went on to win a Golden Globe, a British Academy Scotland Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three Primetime Emmy nominations for this role.

Born in Dundee, Scotland, Brian Cox was brought up by his three sisters mainly, after his father died when he was just eight. After working for some time in a theatre in Dundee, he graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1965.

He is an acclaimed Shakespearean actor and is also a founding member of the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Having worked in several stage plays and theatre works for more than a decade, he earned much acclaim and won the Laurence Olivier Award for the stage play, Rat in the Skull and Titus Andronicus.

As a screen actor, Brian Cox's role as Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter in 1986, though not very successful, marked his entry into films. He appeared in films like Braveheart, Troy, Nuremberg, Adaptation, X2, Match Point, and many others. He won an Emmy Award for the role of Hermann Göring in the HBO film Nuremberg. 

In 2023, Brian Cox took up the challenge of hosting reality television for the first time as the Controller in the show 007: Road To A Million. As a Bond-style villain, his commanding presence and Scottish accent received widespread praise. He describes his first reaction on hearing about the show as:

"I went 'oh, maybe they're going to ask me to do a villain' and I thought 'no they can't do that because they haven't got a James Bond yet. I thought 'well maybe if I do this, it's probably the nearest I'll ever get to (being a Bond villain)."

Off-screen, he married actress Nicole Ansari for the third time in 2002, and they have two sons, Orson and Torin. He resides with his family in New York and is publicly outspoken about supporting Scottish independence.

Brian Cox remains a legendary actor in the UK as well as the US and is now also recognized as the face of the Amazon Prime Series, 007: Road To A Million, where he, once again, revives his role as a mastermind.

Stay tuned for more updates.