Tony Cox

Joseph Anthony "Tony" Cox (born March 31, 1958) is an American actor known for his comedic performances in Bad Santa, Me, Myself and Irene, Date Movie, Epic Movie and Disaster Movie. He is also known for his work in George Lucas's Willow and as an Ewok in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. In the two spin-off films that followed, he played Widdle Warrick. Cox also appeared in the music videos "Just Lose It" by Eminem and "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" by Snoop Dogg. --- Cox is a dwarf. He was born in Manhattan, New York, to Joe and Henrietta Jones Cox. He spent his childhood in Uniontown, Alabama, with his grandmother and grandfather, Lottie and Henry Jones. His mother, Mrs. Henretta Cox-Penn, and stepfather, Rudolph (Rudy) Penn, live in College Park, Georgia. By the age of 10 he became an avid drummer. He met his future wife, Otelia, during high school. They were eventually married in 1981 when Cox was 23 years old. After graduation from high school, Cox attended the University of Alabama and originally planned to study music. Cox said in a 2003 interview with Jet magazine, "I played by ear. It was exactly like in Drumline. I played against some of the drummers from the school, and they didn't have anything on me. I just couldn't read music." Shortly thereafter, Cox decided to pursue acting after watching Billy Barty, a little person who was an actor and also founder of the organization Little People of America. Encouraged by relatives and friends, he moved to Los Angeles at age 18. He began taking classes at the Merrick Studio School of Acting with Actress De De Tillman and soon began working in commercials, film, and television roles. He is perhaps better known for his roles in Bad Santa where he played Marcus, the brains of a safe cracking team, and in Date Movie where he played a parody of Dr. Hitch from Hitch. As second lead to Billy Bob Thornton, Cox's role in Bad Santa was his first and only role as a starring/main character (as of 2010).