Laurence Fox: From screen actor to founder of the Reclaim Party

Actor Laurence Fox rose to fame through various acting roles and is most well-known for portraying DS James Hathaway in the long-running TV series Lewis, which came to an end in 2015.

The actor, 45, has credits in films that include the 2001 production of Gosford Park, the 2007 TV movie A Room With A View and the recent 2022 film My Son Hunter, in which he plays the lead role of Hunter, the son of American president Joe Biden.

Born into an acting dynasty, Fox is related to a slew of famous thespians, including his cousin Freddie Fox, who starred in the 2011 film The Three Musketeers and Netflix series The Crown, playing former prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s son Mark.

Sister to Freddie and cousin to Laurence is Emilia Fox, known for her role as Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC TV series Silent Witness.

The trio are grandchildren to actor and theatrical agent Robin Fox whose son James is father to Laurence and has starred in Downton Abbey, Sherlock Holmes, Midsomer Murders and New Tricks, among other TV series.

Fox married fellow thespian and Doctor Who star Billie Piper in 2007 and the pair split in 2016. They share two sons together, Winston and Eugene.

In 2020, Fox appeared on BBC Question Time and was involved in a debate over Meghan Markle, white male privilege and racism which led to the actor saying he would take a break from social media.

Following his appearance, the actor founded political party the Reclaim Party in October 2020, and the website says he did so after his appearance led to him being “cancelled” from a 22-year-old acting career.

After he set up the Reclaim Party, Fox unsuccessfully stood for London mayor during the mayoral election of 2021.

His manifesto included promises to deliver “free travel on the Tubes and buses for six months” and “tough New York style community policing to target petty crime”.

According to the Reclaim Party website, the party exists “for patriotism and believes hard work should be rewarded.”

Reclaim is strongly associated with the “culture wars” and Fox has previously expressed scepticism about the Covid vaccine and opposed lockdowns during the pandemic.

GB News recently announced that it has suspended Fox whilst it looked into comments that he had made on Dan Wootton’s show about a female journalist called Ava Evans.

Fox is a presenter on GB News and according to the broadcaster’s website he “tackles the issues of the day” with a “unique and outgoing style”.