Scott Cooper (director)
| Scott Cooper | |
|---|---|
 Cooper at the 25th Independent Spirit Awards in March 2010 | |
| Born |
April 20, 1970 Abingdon, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Hampden–Sydney College |
| Occupation | Actor, screenwriter, director, producer |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse(s) | Jocelyne Cooper |
| Children | 2 |
Scott Cooper (born April 20, 1970) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is known for writing, directing and producing the 2009 film Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges. The film, released by Fox Searchlight Pictures, has received a number of accolades, including awards presented by the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Independent Spirit Awards and by the Writers Guild of America. He received his first film credits as an actor in projects like Gods and Generals and the TV miniseries Broken Trail.
Personal life
Cooper was born in Abingdon, Virginia.[1] He is a 1988 graduate of Abingdon High School. Cooper trained as an actor at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. He received both his undergraduate degree in 1992 and his Doctor of Humane Letters in 2014 from Hampden–Sydney College in Hampden Sydney, Virginia.[2]
Cooper is married and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jocelyne Cooper; the couple have two children.
Career
At one point, Barry Levinson was set to direct a film based on Whitey Bulger, the Boston crime boss.[3] In January 2014, Cooper became attached to re-write and direct the film, Black Mass, which was released in 2015.[4] The film was based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, and was described as the "true story of Billy Bulger, Whitey Bulger, FBI agent John Connolly and the FBI's witness protection program that was created by J. Edgar Hoover."[5]
Influences
Thomas Wolfe and William Faulkner are literary influences.[6][7]
Films that have influenced Cooper include: Robert Altman's Nashville, Terence Malick's Badlands, John Huston's Fat City and Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show.[7] His principal film-making mentor has been veteran actor, producer and director, Robert Duvall.
He and Duvall met on the set of Gods and Generals and struck up a friendship. Cooper was married on Duvall's 300-acre (1.2 km2) Virginia estate.[8] The two appeared together in Broken Trail and Duvall produced and appeared in Cooper's film Crazy Heart.
Filmography and career
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Crazy Heart | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| For Sale by Owner | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2013 | Out of the Furnace | Yes | Yes | |
| 2015 | Black Mass | Yes | Yes | |
| 2017 | Hostiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Actor
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Dry Martini | Robert |
| 1999 | Perfect Fit | Guy in bar |
| 1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Klansman's Son – Bobby |
| 1999 | The X-Files | Max Harden (TV, 1 episode), in the seventh season episode Rush |
| 2000 | Takedown | Jake Cronin (also known as Hackers 2: Takedown and Track Down (DVD)) |
| 2001 | Bill's Gun Shop | Dillion McCarthy |
| 2001 | Rain | Pvt. Holland |
| 2001 | The District | Michael Barrett (TV, 1 episode, 2001) (also known as "Lost and Found") |
| 2003 | Gods and Generals | Lt. Joseph Morrison |
| 2003 | Save It for Later | Jake O'Connor (also known as Water Under the Bridge) |
| 2003 | Attitude | Rails |
| 2006 | Broken Trail | Gilpin (TV mini-series) |
| 2009 | For Sale by Owner | Will Custis |
| 2009 | Get Low | Carl |
Awards and nominations
- Nominated for Most Promising Director for Crazy Heart at CFCA Award 2009
- Nominated for Best Screenplay for Crazy Heart at 2010 Independent Spirit Awards
- Nominated for Best Screenplay for Crazy Heart at 2010 Writers Guild of America Awards
References
- ↑
- ↑ "Scott Cooper '92 Awarded Honorary Degree".
- ↑ Rottenberg, Josh (February 22, 2013). "Hollywood Insider: What's Going on Behind the Scenes: Boston's Bulger is Now Hollywood's It Gangster". Entertainment Weekly. New York: Time Inc.: 27.
- ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (January 14, 2014). "'Out Of The Furnace' Helmer Scott Cooper In Talks For 'Black Mass;' Johnny Depp Talks To Play Whitey Bulger Reignite". deadline.com. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ↑ Cappadona, Bryanna (June 20, 2013). "Who Should Play Whitey Bulger in Black Mass?". Boston. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ↑ Anthony Kaufman (2010-01-20). "Variety, Jan. 20, 2010". Variety.com. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
- 1 2 Profile, latimesblogs.latimes.com; accessed October 5, 2016.
- ↑ "INTERVIEW: Scott Cooper and Robert Duvall". Incontention.com. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scott Cooper (actor). |
- Scott Cooper at the Internet Movie Database
- L.A. Times Blogs: "The Body and Soul Behind Crazy Heart"