On stage, he appeared in the original 1988 production of
Timberlake Wertenbaker's play ''
Our Country's Good. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor in 2000 for his role in Juno and the Paycock'' at the
Donmar Warehouse. He appeared at the same theatre the same year in
Helpless. He appeared in
Conor McPherson's play
The Seafarer, In 2011, he played The Fool in
King Lear starring
Derek Jacobi at the Donmar and on an 8-week tour. In 2013, Cook played the part of
Pistol in Michael Grandage's
Henry V (with Jude Law in the title role). From November 2015 to February 2016 he played Max in
The Homecoming at
Trafalgar Studios, From November 2016 to January 2017, Cook appeared in
Lucy Kirkwood's new play
The Children at The
Royal Court Theatre with
Francesca Annis and
Deborah Findlay. In July 2017, he appeared as Dr Walker at The Old Vic in
Girl from the North Country. Cook played the father of Dawn Sturgess who was the only fatality in the crisis. In 2022, Cook played the role of the ‘Wise Owl’ and its voice actor Wilf in the show “
Inside No.9” in the episode “Wise Owl”. He has played
Napoleon Bonaparte twice, in his 1994 guest appearance in
Sharpe and again in the 2000 feature film
Quills. Other film roles have included parts in
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989, as Mews),
Secrets & Lies (1996),
The Odyssey (1997, as Eurybates),
Topsy-Turvy (1999, as
Richard D'Oyly Carte),
Chocolat (2000),
Charlotte Gray (2001),
24 Hour Party People (2002, as Derek Ryder),
Thunderbirds (2004, as
Parker),
102 Dalmatians,
Hot Fuzz (2007, as George Merchant) and ''
The King's Man (2021, as Archduke Franz Ferdinand). Cook also appeared in Feeling Good'', a short film written by
Dexter Fletcher and directed by
Dalia Ibelhauptaite. Cook has also acted in
radio drama. In 2007 he played the part of confidence trickster Captain Wragge in a
BBC Radio 4 adaption of the
Wilkie Collins novel
No Name. In July 2007, he played the part of Kris Kelvin, the protagonist psychologist on the
BBC Radio 4 adaptation of
Solaris,
Stanislaw Lem's novel. In December 2014, he played Jacob Marley in
Neil Brand's
BBC Radio 4 adaptation of
A Christmas Carol. ==Filmography==