Colin Fox (actor)
 | This biography needs more citations. (April 2025) |
Colin Fox | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 20, 1938[1] Aldershot, Ontario, Canada[1] |
| Died | April 5, 2025 (aged 86) Fergus, Ontario, Canada |
| Other name | Colin R. Fox |
| Education | University of Western Ontario National Theatre School of Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–2024 |
| Spouse |
Carol Fox
(m. 1986; died 2015) |
| Children | 1 stepdaughter |
Colin R. Fox (November 20, 1938 – April 5, 2025) was a Canadian actor, who appeared in various Canadian and American films and television series.[1] His best known roles included Jean Paul Desmond / Jacques Eloi Des Mondes on Strange Paradise (1969–70), Professor Anton Hendricks on PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996–2000), and Fritz Brenner on A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–02).
Fox also provided voiceover work for animated projects like The Legend of Zelda (1989), Rupert (1991–97), X-Men: The Animated Series (1996), and Atomic Betty (2004–08). The latter earned him a Gemini Award for Best Performance in an Animated Program or Series.
Career
[edit]His acting credits included playing Jean Paul Desmond and Jacques Eloi Des Mondes (the latter speaking to his descendant from the portrait) in Strange Paradise (CBC/Syndicated, 1969–70), as well as voice work in various animated series, and in other roles in film, television and on the stage. He created the role of Walter Telford, an attorney on the series High Hopes. His most famous role may be that of Anton Hendricks in the TV series PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal. He also appeared in Shining Time Station episode, "Schemer's Special Club", as the misogynistic and racist Nicklear Club President and owner Mr. Hobart Hume III.
Fox was well known for his portrayal of Swiss chef Fritz Brenner in the A&E TV original series, A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002), and the series pilot, The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2000). Fox's Fritz is a complex person, like the Fritz portrayed in the books, but does not joke with Archie as much. A running joke in the series is the offscreen sound of pots and pans falling and dishes breaking when Fritz is annoyed or upset. In "Eeny Meeny Murder Mo", Fritz gets drunk after a woman is murdered in Wolfe's office and Wolfe refuses to eat.
Fox played cunning, ruthless villains in three episodes of the Canadian TV show Friday the 13th: The Series. The first was monk Rupert LeCroix in "The Poisoned Pen" wielding a cursed quill pen that caused whatever was written by it to actually happen. The second was Sylvan Winters, taxidermist and Satanic Cult leader – who actually killed lead character, Micki Foster (Louise Robey) with the deadly Coin of Zaecles in the episode, "Tails I Live, Heads You Die." The third was German scientist Horst Mueller in "The Butcher," who used a silver amulet – a swastika enclosed in a circle – to resurrect a Nazi war criminal, Colonel Rausch a.k.a. The Butcher.
He also supplied the voice of the Professor in Rupert, the archvillain The Wizard in The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland and Newton the turtle from Peep and the Big Wide World.
Personal life and death
[edit]Fox was born in Aldershot, Ontario, Canada on November 20, 1938. He was a 1965 graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.[2] He was married to Carol Bermingham-Fox, and was the stepfather to her daughter, Sarah, from a previous marriage. Carol predeceased him, dying of cancer in 2015.[3] He lived in Elora, Ontario, 100 km from Toronto, in an 1860s Victorian home.
Fox died in Fergus, Ontario on April 5, 2025, at the age of 86.[4]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Again and Again | Narrator | |
| 1969 | The Three Musketeers | Aramis | |
| Strange Paradise | Jean Paul Desmond / Jacques Eloi Des Monde | ||
| 1971 | The Reincarnate | Ormsby | |
| 1975 | My Pleasure Is My Business | Freddie | |
| 1979 | Chocolate Eclair (Éclair au chocolat) | Le businessman américain | |
| 1980 | Virus | Spy Z | |
| 1981 | Silence of the North | Arthur Herriot | |
| 1982 | Murder by Phone | Dr. Alderman | |
| 1983 | A Christmas Story | Ming the Merciless | Scenes deleted |
| 1984 | Covergirl | Maitre d' | |
| Real Inside | Arthur Mudgin | Short | |
| 1987 | The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland | The Wizard (voice) | [5] |
| Hello Again | Clergyman | ||
| 1989 | Gnaw: Food of the Gods II | Professor Edmond Delhurst | |
| 1990 | Beautiful Dreamers | Rev. Haines | |
| 1991 | Money | 1st Executive | |
| 1992 | Scanners III: The Takeover | Dr. Elton Monet | |
| 1993 | On My Own | Palter | |
| 1994 | PCU | Trustee #1 | |
| Historica Minutes: Agnes Macphail | Hugh Guthrie | Short | |
| 1995 | Butterbox Babies | Rutledge | |
| Open Season | Jackson Carp | ||
| Tommy Boy | Nelson | ||
| Voices | Sir Thomas Beecham | ||
| 1996 | Mrs. Winterbourne | Wedding Guest | |
| Daylight | Roger Trilling | ||
| In Love and War | Dr. Hemingway | ||
| L5: First City in Space | Scientist-Grandfather | Short | |
| 1998 | Seeds of Doubt | David Golden | |
| 2000 | Thomas and the Magic Railroad | Henry | Voice, original workprints only |
| Left Behind: The Movie | Chaim Rosenzweig | ||
| 2001 | Chasing Holden | Pappy | |
| Down to Earth | Director | ||
| 2002 | Drummer Boy | Board Chairman | |
| 2004 | Perfect Strangers | Sir Nigel | |
| 2008 | One Week | Father O'Neill | |
| Cutting for Stone | Chairman | ||
| 2019 | The Women of Aipine Road | Morgan | Short |
| 2020 | Shortly to Go | Cloves | Short |
| 2021 | Hero Dog: The Journey Home | Captain Boggs | |
| 2023 | Deadly Draw | Silas Ekelund | |
| 2024 | Return to Wickensburg | Professor McAuliffe | Final role |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | House of Pride | Dan Pride | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Witness to Yesterday | John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham | Episode: "Lord Durham" |
| 1977 | The War Between the Tates | Leonard Zimmerman | Television film |
| 1978 | The Prophet from Pugwash | Narrator | CBC TV documentary |
| High Hopes | Walter Telford | 1 episode | |
| 1979 | A Man Called Intrepid | Acker | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | The Equalizer | Consul | Episode: "The Defector" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Bishop | Episode: "The Cup" |
| My Pet Monster | Professor (voice) | [5] | |
| Spenser: For Hire | Father Brendan | Episode: "Shadowsight" | |
| 1987–1988 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Victor Stouts Dr. Herman Vandenburg |
2 episodes |
| 1987–1989 | Friday the 13th: The Series | Le Croix Sylvan Winters Horst Mueller |
3 episodes |
| 1987–1990 | Street Legal | Dr. Peter Marcheson Lowell McMurrich |
2 episodes |
| 1988 | Biographies: The Enigma of Bobby Bittman | Arthur Prince | Television film |
| 1989 | The Legend of Zelda | King Harkinian (voice) | Main cast[5] |
| Passion and Paradise | Axel Wenner-Gren | Television film | |
| Small Sacrifices | Jim Pex | TV miniseries | |
| Lady in the Corner | Theo | Television film | |
| 1990 | Counterstrike | Lord Sutcliffe | Episode: "Art for Art's Sake" |
| In Defense of a Married Man | Brad Monroe | Television film | |
| Descending Angel | Doctor | Television film | |
| 1990–1992 | Maniac Mansion | Edward Edison | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Law & Order | Peter Martin | Episode: "In Memory Of" |
| Mark Twain and Me | Dr. Quintard | Television film | |
| A Little Piece of Heaven | The Preacher | Television film | |
| Conspiracy of Silence | George Dangerfield | TV miniseries | |
| 1991–1997 | Rupert | Professor | 18 episodes |
| 1992 | E.N.G. | Sandy Ferguson | Episode: "Pressure" |
| Deadbolt | Professor Rhodes | Television film | |
| In the Eyes of a Stranger | Richard | Television film | |
| The Sound and the Silence | Samuel Langley | Television film | |
| Partners 'n Love | Dr. Hatch | Television film | |
| 1992, 1995 | Forever Knight | Priest Dr. Alex Nystrom |
2 episodes |
| 1993 | Shining Time Station | Hobart Hume The Third | Episode: "Schemer's Special Club" |
| Dieppe | Laffin | Television film | |
| Road to Avonlea | Galileo Dale | Episode: "Tug of War" | |
| Bonds of Love | Dr. Roche | Television film | |
| Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story | Joe Bembenek | Television film | |
| Matrix | The Man from the Other Side | Episode: "The Yellow Chamber" | |
| Return to Lonesome Dove | Lord Henry | TV miniseries | |
| 1994 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Felson | Episode: "Temple" |
| The Mighty Jungle | Harold | Episode: "Guerrilla in My Midst" | |
| RoboCop: The Series | Hammersmith (voice) | Episode: "Sisters in Crime" | |
| Blauvogel | Priest | TV miniseries | |
| 1994–1996 | Highlander: The Animated Series | Cubert (voice) | TV series |
| 1995 | The Neverending Story | Large Head (voice) | 9 episodes[5] |
| Hiroshima | James Forrestal | Television film | |
| Ray Lawson | Episode: "The Tale of Train Magic" | ||
| 1995–1996 | Goosebumps | Shopkeeper | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | X-Men: The Animated Series | Purple Man (voice) | Episode: "No Mutant Is an Island"[5] |
| Windsor Protocol | FBI Agent James K. Smith | Television film | |
| The Adventures of Shirley Holmes | Mr. Howie | 8 episodes | |
| Sins of Silence | Judge Boland | Television film | |
| The Haunting of Lisa | Bishop McCarthy | Television film | |
| Captive Heart: The James Mink Story | Lord Elgin | Television film | |
| 1996–2000 | PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Professor Anton Hedricks | Canadian TV series |
| 1997 | Elvis Meets Nixon | Sir Harold | Television film |
| End of Summer | Ezra | Television film | |
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | State Senator Jonathan Hoover | Television film | |
| 1998 | Silver Surfer | Uatu the Watcher (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1998–1999 | Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend | King Cepheus, Menelaus (voice) | 2 episodes[5] |
| 1999 | Noddy | The Sandman | Episode: "The Sandman Cometh" |
| Wind at My Back | Senator Carlisle Woodman | Episode: "New Directions" | |
| 2000 | La Femme Nikita | Gelman | Episode: "Getting Out of Reverse" |
| The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery | Fritz Brenner | Television film | |
| Angels in the Infield | The Devil | Television film | |
| Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble | John Quincy Adams | Television film | |
| Dirty Pictures | Walsh | Television film | |
| A House Divided | Dr. Lovick | Television film | |
| Relic Hunter | Hans Lubeck | Episode: "Last of the Mochicas" | |
| The Last Debate | Joshua Simpson | Television film | |
| Phantom of the Megaplex | Wolfgang Nedermayer | Television film | |
| 2001 | Drive Time Murders | Frederick Rankin | Television film |
| Laughter on the 23rd Floor | Cal Weebs | Television film | |
| The Zack Files | Charles | 2 episodes | |
| Prince Charming | King Leo | Television film | |
| 2001–2002 | A Nero Wolfe Mystery | Fritz Brenner | 26 episodes |
| 2002 | Henry's World | Mr. Wiggins | 25 episodes |
| Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story | Westchester Priest | Television film | |
| Salem Witch Trials | Israel Porter | 25 episodes | |
| 2003 | America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story | Richard Lawton | 25 episodes |
| Deathlands: Homeward Bound | Baron Titus Cawdor | 25 episodes | |
| Webs | Dr. Richard Morelli | 25 episodes | |
| 2004 | Peep and the Big Wide World | Newton | 1 episode |
| Wonderfalls | Fred Bradley | Episode: "Crime Dog" | |
| A Separate Peace | Professor Fitzwinkler | 25 episodes | |
| Plain Truth | Bishop Stoflus | 25 episodes | |
| The Manly Bee | Doc Zombie | ||
| 2004–2008 | Atomic Betty | Supreme Overlord Maximus IQ (voice) | 41 episodes[5] |
| 2005 | Puppets Who Kill | Sir Percy Quill | Episode: "Buttons the Dresser" |
| Our Fathers | Daniel Kibbe | 25 episodes | |
| 2007 | The Dead Zone | Father Brendan | Episode: "Transgressions" |
| 2010 | Unnatural History | Dante Morneau | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010–2011 | Bolts & Blip | Dr. Blood | 26 episodes |
| 2019 | Mary Kills People | Priest | 1 episode |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Hype: The Time Quest | Additional voices |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Wyndham Wise, "Colin Fox". The Canadian Encyclopedia, September 22, 2011.
- ↑ "Alumni, Acting: 1963-1969". National Theatre School of Canada. Archived from the original on 2012-05-12.
- ↑ "CAROL BERMINGHAM-FOX". New York Times. October 14, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Obituary information for Colin Fox". www.grahamgiddyfh.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Colin Fox (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 9, 2025. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
External links
[edit]
- 1938 births
- 2025 deaths
- 20th-century Canadian male actors
- 21st-century Canadian male actors
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male stage actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian male voice actors
- Canadian Screen Award winning actors
- Male actors from Ontario
- National Theatre School of Canada alumni
- People from Centre Wellington
