Overview
- Variety and the New York Times report he died Wednesday in Norwalk, Connecticut, after a long illness, which friend Dorian Hannaway confirmed to the German press agency DPA.
- He broke through under Robert Altman with roles in MASH and Brewster McCloud before leading Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude.
- His Harold and Maude performance earned BAFTA recognition as most promising newcomer and a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a comedy or musical.
- A severe 1979 car accident required reconstructive surgery and is credited with stalling his rise, though he continued working in film and television for decades.
- Survivors include his brother Joseph Cox and sisters Kerry Cox, Tracy Cox Berkman, and Shelly Cox Dufour, with a memorial service planned in Los Angeles.