Joel Cox

Joel Cox (born April 2, 1942) is an American film editor. He is best known for collaborating with Clint Eastwood in 33 films.

Life and career Cox has been working in film since appearing as a baby in Random Harvest (1942). His first credit as the editor was for Farewell, My Lovely (1975), which was directed by Dick Richards and co-edited by the veteran editor Walter A. Thompson. Cox had just finished working as Thompson's assistant on Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975), which was also directed by Richards. Cox worked on two more of Richards' films, March or Die (1977 - as assistant editor) and Death Valley (1982).

Cox has had a notable collaboration with Clint Eastwood that commenced with the 1976 film The Outlaw Josey Wales, for which Cox was Ferris Webster's assistant. Cox and Webster were co-editors on The Gauntlet (1977) and on several more of Eastwood's subsequent films. Starting with Sudden Impact (1983), Cox became Eastwood's principal editor. Cox has been quoted as saying that, over their 30-year partnership, Eastwood has re-cut only a single scene that Cox put together.

In addition to his career in the film industry, since 2000 Cox and his family have owned and managed Mystic Hills Vineyard and winery near Paso Robles, California.

Cox won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Unforgiven. He has been elected as a member of the American Cinema Editors. On November 25, 2008, Clint Eastwood presented Cox the first Ignacy Paderewski Lifetime Achievement Award, which is named in honor of the piano virtuoso who called Paso Robles home, at the first Paso Robles Digital Film Festival. He received a nomination for the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Editing for Changeling and for the 2015 Academy Award for Best Film Editing for American Sniper.

Filmography

The 2008 Paso Robles Digital Film Festival provides a full filmography of Joel Cox as part of his Lifetime Achievement Award.

Editor

Year Film Director Notes 2024 Juror No. 2 Clint Eastwood with David S. Cox 2021 Cry Macho Clint Eastwood with David S. Cox 2019 Richard Jewell Clint Eastwood 2018 The Mule Clint Eastwood 2018 Den of Thieves Christian Gudegastwith David S. Cox, Nathan Godley 2017 All Eyez on Me Benny Boom 2014 American Sniper Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2014 Jersey Boys Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2013 Prisoners Denis Villeneuve with Gary D. Roach 2012 Trouble with the Curve Robert Lorenz with Gary D. Roach 2011 J. Edgar Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2010 Hereafter Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2009 Invictus Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2008 Gran Torino Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2008 Changeling Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2007 American Masters Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends Bruce Ricker (TV)Clint Eastwood Producer 2006 Letters from Iwo Jima Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach 2006 Flags of Our Fathers Clint Eastwood with Gary D. Roach. 2005 Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That Bruce Ricker (TV) 2004 Million Dollar Baby Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Frankie Dunn 2003 The Blues: Piano Blues Clint Eastwood 2003 Mystic River Clint Eastwood Original Music by Clint Eastwood 2002 Blood Work Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Terry McCaleb 2000 Space Cowboys Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Frank Corvin 1999 True Crime Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Steve Everett 1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Clint Eastwood 1997 Absolute Power Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Luther Whitney 1997 Eastwood After Hours: Live at Carnegie Hall Bruce Ricker (TV) 1995 The Stars Fell on Henrietta James Keach 1995 The Bridges of Madison County Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Robert Kincaid 1993 A Perfect World Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Chief Red Garnett 1992 Unforgiven Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as William 'Bill' MunnyWon the 1992 Academy Award for Best Film Editing 1990 The Rookie Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Nick Pulovski 1990 White Hunter Black Heart Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as John Wilson 1989 Pink Cadillac Buddy Van Horn Clint Eastwood as Tommy Nowak 1988 Bird Clint Eastwood 1988 The Dead Pool Buddy Van Horn Supervising editor; Eastwood as Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan 1986 Heartbreak Ridge Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Gunnery Sgt. Tom 'Gunny' Highway 1986 Ratboy Sondra Locke 1985 Pale Rider Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Preacher 1984 Tightrope Richard Tuggle Clint Eastwood as Capt. Wes Block 1983 Sudden Impact Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan 1982 Honkytonk Man Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Red Stovall; with Ferris Webster and Michael Kelly. 1982 Death Valley Dick Richards 1980 Bronco Billy Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Bronco Billy McCoy; with Ferris Webster. 1978 Every Which Way but Loose James Fargo Clint Eastwood as Philo Beddoe; with Ferris Webster. 1977 The Gauntlet Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood as Ben Shockley; with Ferris Webster. 1976 The Enforcer James Fargo Clint Eastwood as Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan; with Ferris Webster. 1975 Farewell, My Lovely Dick Richards co-edited with Walter Thompson

Assistant editor Year Film Director Job Notes 1979 Escape from Alcatraz Don Siegel assistant editor Eastwood as Frank Morris; edited by Ferris Webster. 1977 March or Die Dick Richards assistant editor 1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales Clint Eastwood assistant editor Eastwood as Josey Wales; edited by Ferris Webster 1975 Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins Dick Richards assistant editor Edited by Walter Thompson 1974 The Terminal Man Mike Hodges assistant editor Edited by Robert L. Wolfe 1973 The All-American Boy Charles Eastman assistant editor Eastman's only film as director. 1973 Cleopatra Jones Jack Starrett assistant editor 1969 The Rain People Francis Ford Coppola assistant editor Edited by Barry Malkin 1969 The Wild Bunch Sam Peckinpah assistant editor uncredited

Sound department

Year Film Director Job Notes 1969 The Learning Tree Gordon Parks sound assistant

Self

Year Show Episode Notes 2006 HBO First Look A Moment in Time... Flags of Our Fathers 2005 Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema Video 2002 All on Accounta Pullin' a Trigger Video 2000 American Masters Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows 1999 Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' Video 1993 The 65th Annual Academy Awards Winner: Best Film Editing 1993 Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso 1992 Eastwood & Co.: Making 'Unforgiven'

Awards

Year Result Award Category Recipient(s) Notes 2015 Nominated Oscar Best Film Editing American Sniper Shared with Gary D. Roach 2005 Nominated Oscar Best Film Editing Million Dollar Baby 1993 Won Oscar Best Film Editing Unforgiven 2005 Nominated Eddie Edited Feature Film - Dramatic Million Dollar Baby 2004 Nominated Eddie Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic Mystic River 1993 Won Eddie Best Edited Feature Film Unforgiven 2006 Won Hollywood Film Award Editor of the Year 2006 Nominated Satellite Award Best Film Editing Flags of Our Fathers 2004 Nominated Golden Satellite Award Best Film Editing Mystic River 2009 Nominated British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA Award for Best Editing Changeling Shared with Gary D. Roach