You guys. Today is kind of a big deal.
The first original series in Netflix's deal with Marvel for four TV shows and a Defenders mini-series, Marvel's Daredevil, premieres on Instant Streaming today.
Though Daredevil's star Charlie Cox has been in the biz for some time now, he has not yet reached household name status. The show has gotten pretty great reviews so far, so it's likely that it will catapult Cox to superstardom in the near future. Or at least you'll probably see his name and face a lot more from now on.
However, as you make your way through Season 1's 13 episodes, all of the fight scenes and justice being served might not be enough to distract you from that nagging feeling that you've seen Cox somewhere before, you just don't know where. Well, you should definitely trust your instincts because if you've been watching movies and TV shows over the past few years, it's very likely that you've watched Cox on screen, whether you realize it or not.
This is especially the case if you've watched a lot of period pieces on screens large and small. As you'll see, it's actually kind of weird to see Cox play a character who lives in present-day New York on Daredevil. But at least that means he's used to wearing outlandish costumes.
Here are six of Cox's most noteworthy movie and TV show roles and one upcoming project that will show you the British actor is more of a familiar face than you think.
1. Giovanni Bruni In Casanova (2005)
Heath Ledger of course played the legendary lothario in this 2005 film. However, Cox plays Giovanni Bruni, the brother of Sienna Miller's Francesca, who dresses up like her sibling and ends up falling in love with the titular character. Cox didn't steal the show in this movie, but to be fair it's hard to outshine a character like Casanova.
2. Tristan Thorn In Stardust (2007)
If you're not convinced that Cox is leading man material then you need to watch Stardust, one of his first big movie roles. Strangely enough, though Cox and Miller played siblings in the aforementioned Casanova, Cox's character Tristan goes on an epic adventure to try and win the heart of the actress' character. With royalty, witches and pirates rounding out this cast of characters, Stardust is nothing but a good time.
3. Philip, The Duke Of Crowborough In Downton Abbey (2010)
Cox appeared in the very first episode of Downton Abbey, before the British series really blew up and became a huge hit outside of the U.K.'s borders. Although his guest spot was brief, Downton Abbey fans will definitely remember his character. If you haven't seen Downton Abbey, this will obviously spoil a scene for you, but Cox plays Philip, the Duke of Crowborough who arrives at Downton as a guest with the hope of proposing to Mary, the eldest Crawley daughter, and inheriting her dowery. However, it is soon revealed that Thomas and Philip have secretly been romantically involved. After some threats of blackmail, Philip gets away from Downton unscathed and unsurprisingly, we never hear from him again.
4. Ishmael In Encore's Moby Dick Mini-Series (2011)
Cox joins a star-studded cast including William Hurt as Captain Ahab and Ethan Hawke as Starbuck in Encore's adaptation of Herman Melville's classic novel. Cox plays Ishamael in the two-part mini-series, a young sailor who gets swept up in Ahab's craziness in this reimagining of a whale of a tale.
5. Owen Sleater In Boardwalk Empire (2010-2011)
One of Cox's best-known roles to date has been as Owen Sleater, an Irish immigrant and right-hand man to Nucky. Let's just say Sleater's last appearance on Boardwalk Empire will really leave an impression on you.
6. Jonathan Hellyer Jones In The Theory Of Everything (2014)
Cox's most recent role before starring in Daredevil was in last year's Oscar-winning Stephen and Jane Hawking love story The Theory of Everything. Cox plays Jonathan Hellyer Jones, a widower and the church choir director at the Hawkings' church, who becomes a close family friend. Perhaps a little too close.
7. Jackson In An Upcoming Wall Street Pilot (2015)
After Daredevil, up next for Cox is a role in a Wall Street-set CBS pilot executive produced by John Cusack. Cox will play a character named Jackson, an Iraq War vet who is now making a name for himself as a hedge fund trader on Wall Street. However, I have a feeling it's going to be hard to not see Daredevil when you see Cox on this show.
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