[7] In 1974–1975, Cox starred in the short-lived family-oriented series entitled Apple's Way, created by Earl Hamner, creator of The Waltons.

In 1984, 12 years after Deliverance, Cox again played a member of a small group of men who are lost, this time in the Nevada desert, and being chased by bloodthirsty locals in the low-budget film Courage.

That same year, Cox appeared in the Paul Verhoeven film RoboCop as corporate arch-villain Dick Jones.

[8] In 1986, Cox played the mayor in season 3, episodes 1 and 2, "Death Stalks the Big Top", of the TV series Murder, She Wrote.

Cox had a guest role on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Captain Edward Jellico in the two-part episode "Chain of Command".

He also played Henry Mason, the father of Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) on Desperate Housewives.

He occasionally has done animation work, lending his voice to the Tyrusian deserter Doc in Invasion America and Senator McMillan in Todd McFarlane's Spawn.

[9][failed verification] Cox played Walter Kenney in Dexter, season six, episode three ("Smokey and the Bandit").

Starting in 2022, Cox reprised his role as now-Admiral Edward Jellico in several episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy.