Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 15, 2026

Jay Cocks

John C. "Jay" Cocks Jr. is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is a graduate of Kenyon College. He was a critic for Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone, among other magazines before shifting to screenplay writing. For his work, Cocks has received three Academy Award nominations: two for Best Adapted Screenplay - The Age of Innocence (1993) and A Complete Unknown (2024) - and one for Best Original Screenplay (2002).

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John C. "Jay" Cocks Jr. (born January 12, 1944) is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is a graduate of Kenyon College.1 He was a critic for Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone, among other magazines before shifting to screenplay writing.1 For his work, Cocks has received three Academy Award nominations: two for Best Adapted Screenplay - The Age of Innocence (1993) and A Complete Unknown (2024) - and one for Best Original Screenplay (Gangs of New York) (2002).

Career

As a screenwriter, he is notable for his collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, particularly The Age of Innocence2 and Gangs of New York3 — a screenplay he started working on in 1976 — as well as Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days.4 He did an uncredited rewrite of James Cameron's screenplay for Titanic and was, with Scorsese, the co-screenwriter of Silence. Cocks and Scorsese approached author Philip K. Dick in 1969 for an adaptation of his 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Though the duo never optioned the book, it was later developed into the movie Blade Runner by screenwriter Hampton Fancher and director Ridley Scott.5

Under the pseudonym "Joseph P. Gillis", Cocks and filmmaker Brian De Palma wrote a spec script for the crime drama television series Columbo in 1973. Their teleplay, titled "Shooting Script", was never filmed.6 De Palma and Cocks did however contribute in part with helping George Lucas with the narrative crawl that opens the 1977 film Star Wars.7

Personal life

Cocks married actress Verna Bloom in 1972. Bloom, with Cocks, had a son, Sam, born in 1981. Bloom died in 2019.8

Filmography

Year Title Director Notes
1988 The Last Temptation of Christ Martin Scorsese Uncredited9
1990 Made in Milan Documentary short
1993 The Age of Innocence Credited with Martin Scorsese
1995 Strange Days Kathryn Bigelow Credited with James Cameron
2002 Gangs of New York Martin Scorsese Credited with Steve Zaillian & Kenneth Lonergan
2004 De-Lovely Irwin Winkler
2016 Silence Martin Scorsese Credited with Martin Scorsese
2024 A Complete Unknown James Mangold Credited with James Mangold

Unproduced projects

  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1969) – Script for Martin Scorsese5
  • "Shooting Script" (1973) – Unproduced Columbo teleplay (under the pseudonym Joseph P. Gillis)6
  • Night Life (1978) – Script for Martin Scorsese
  • Untitled satirical comedy (1980) – Script for Brian De Palma10
  • The Company of Angels (1994) – Script for Kathryn Bigelow11
  • Ambrose Chapel (1998) – Script for Brian De Palma12
  • Nazi Gold (1998) – Script for Brian De Palma13
  • Brownsville Girl (2010) – Script for Scott Cooper14
  • The Last of the Savages (2023) – Adaptation of the novel15

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Title Result
1993 Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay The Age of Innocence Nominated
2002 Best Original Screenplay Gangs of New York Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay Nominated
2016 National Board of Review Best Adapted Screenplay Silence Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
2024 Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay A Complete Unknown Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Writers Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
References

References

  1. Some Notable Alumni Archived 2013-06-14 at the Wayback Machine, kenyon.edu; accessed August 28, 2015.
  2. Vincent Canby (1993-09-17). "Review/Film: The Age of Innocence; Grand Passions and Good Manners". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  3. A.O. Scott (2002-12-20). "Gangs of New York - FILM REVIEW; To Feel A City Seethe". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  4. "Jay Cocks' filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  5. Schulman, Michael (14 September 2017). "The Battle for Blade Runner". Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  6. "Brian De Palma's lost Columbo, and the Lieutenant's unfilmed final case". The Columbophile Blog. August 20, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  7. "The Origin of the Crawl". Force Material. December 12, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  8. Sandomir, Richard (January 11, 2019). "Verna Bloom, 80, Amorous Dean's Wife in 'Animal House,' Dies". The New York Times.
  9. "Ageing bulls return". The Guardian. October 31, 1999. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  10. Dudar, Helen (July 27, 1980). "The Master Of Mayhem". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  11. Brennan, Judy (May 1, 1994). "What a Concept: Joel Silver Meets Joan of Arc". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  12. Madigan, Nick (May 7, 1998). "MGM, DePalma in suspense". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  13. Madigan, Nick (May 11, 1998). "De Palma, MGM mine 'Gold'". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  14. Jagernauth, Kevin (August 27, 2010). "Brad Pitt & Scott Cooper Linked To 'Brownsville Girl' Based On The Song By Bob Dylan, Adapted By Jay Cocks". ThePlaylist.net. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  15. Yossman, K. J. (February 10, 2023). "'The Last of the Savages' Adaptation Greenlit as APX Group Inks First-Option Deal With XIIIthirteen Co (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
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