Joseph Anthony “Tony” Cox is an American film and television actor, born on the 31st of March 1958, in Manhattan, New York City. He is perhaps best known for appearing in a string of comedy films. He is a dwarf, standing three feet six inches tall, and is of African American heritage.
How rich is Tony Cox? Sources estimate his net worth at $4 million as of early 2017, earned over his acting career which began in 1980.
Tony Cox net Worth $4 million
Cox grew up mostly in Alabama, under the care of his grandparents, whilst his mother resided in Georgia with Cox’s stepfather. He became interested in becoming an actor after seeing a performance by Billy Barty, also a dwarf, an actor who had risen to prominence with a role on the television show “Wild Wild West”, and who had founded the Little People of America association. Cox would, coincidentally, go on to feature in a Burger King commercial along with Barty later in his career. Cox attended the University of Alabama briefly before pursuing an acting career.
Cox moved to Los Angeles after turning 18 to increase his opportunities, and studied at the Merrick School of Acting, and work in television and advertisements soon followed. His first movie role came in 1980, in the Oliver Reed film “Dr Heckyl and Mr. Hype”, in which he played the role of Bad William. He would go on to play an “ewok”, a bear-like alien, three times, firstly in “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”. In 1992, Cox appeared in the television sitcom “Martin”, starring Martin Lawrence. His net worth was now established.
Cox’s biggest role came in 2003’s “Bad Santa”, in which he played one of the main characters, Marcus, opposite Billy Bob Thornton; both actors returned for the sequel, “Bad Santa 2”, in 2016, although Cox auditioned for the role of Marcus ten times before being given the part. He has also appeared in spoof movies including “Date Movie” and “Disaster Movie”. Recently, he has worked in large budget features such as “Oz the Great and Powerful” in 2013, greatly contributing to his overall wealth.
Cox has also appeared in music videos, for artists including Eminem, 2 Pac and Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Foo Fighters. In addition to his acting work, he directed a 1985 episode of the television show “Your Mother Wouldn’t Like It”, and has worked as a stunt person on “Blade Runner”, “The Ewok Adventure”, and finally in 1993 in “Leprechaun”. He provided his voice in the 2015 “Strange Magic”, in which he played an elf.
In his personal life, Tony Cox met his wife, Otelia, during high school. They were married in 1981 and have a daughter, who is now in her mid-twenties; they live on a ranch in Sedona, Arizona. Tony is a proficient drummer – he began drumming at the age of ten, and had at one stage, wanted to study music at university, before he decided to become an actor. He participates in various sports, including table tennis, basketball, and martial arts. He is a vegetarian, for the most part, although he does occasionally eat beef from his ranch.
