Scott Cooper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cooper at the 2025New York Film Festival | |
| Born | (1970-04-20)April 20, 1970 (age 55) Abingdon, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Hampden–Sydney College |
| Occupations | Actor, filmmaker |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | Jocelyne Cooper |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Todd Cooper (brother) |
Scott Cooper (born April 20, 1970) is an American filmmaker and former actor. He is known for the filmsCrazy Heart (2009),Out of the Furnace (2013),Black Mass (2015),Hostiles (2017),Antlers (2021),The Pale Blue Eye (2022), andSpringsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025).
Cooper was born inAbingdon, Virginia.[1] He is a 1988 graduate ofAbingdon High School. Cooper trained as an actor atLee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute inNew York City.[2] He received both his undergraduate degree in 1992 and his Doctor of Humane Letters in 2014 fromHampden–Sydney College inHampden Sydney, Virginia.[3]
Cooper spent a decade working as an actor in film and television.[4]
He made the switch to directing with 2009'sCrazy Heart,[5] starringJeff Bridges andMaggie Gyllenhaal.[6] The film, released byFox Searchlight Pictures, received widespread critical acclaim and a number of accolades, including theAcademy Awards forBest Actor (Bridges) andBest Original Song.
AmongCrazy Heart's fans were directorRidley Scott and producerMichael Costigan, as well as executives atLeonardo DiCaprio's production company,Appian Way. Cooper was offered the opportunity to developThe Low Dweller, aspec script written byBrad Ingelsby that hadDiCaprio andScott attached, as actor and director respectively.[7] Cooper rewrote the script, drawing on his experience of growing up inAppalachia and losing a sibling at a young age.[8]
Relativity Media put the film, now titledOut of the Furnace, into production in 2012, withChristian Bale,Woody Harrelson andCasey Affleck leading the ensemble cast. Cooper directed the film, and shared writing credit with Ingelsby. DiCaprio and Scott remained as producers.[9]
In January 2014, Cooper became attached to rewrite and directBlack Mass,[10] a crime drama based the book of the same name by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill,[11] described as the "true story ofBilly Bulger,Whitey Bulger, FBI agentJohn Connolly and the FBI's witness protection program that was created byJ. Edgar Hoover."[12]Barry Levinson had previously been involved with the project.[13]Johnny Depp, who had been on and off the project for a number of years, came back on board to play the infamous Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger,[14] alongsideJoel Edgerton as Connolly andBenedict Cumberbatch as Billy Bulger.[15] The film was released in 2015.[16] In 2016, he sold his home inBrentwood for $3.6 million and it was widely covered in the media.[17][18]
Cooper wrote, directed and produced the 2017 westernHostiles, based on a decades old manuscript by the late screenwriterDonald E. Stewart.[19] The film reteamed Cooper with hisOut of the Furnace star, Bale, alongsideRosamund Pike. It had its world premiere at theTelluride Film Festival, with US distribution rights picked up by Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures.[20] Cooper's next film was the supernatural horror storyAntlers, starringKeri Russell andJesse Plemons and co-produced byGuillermo del Toro, which was released in 2021.[21][22]
In January 2024 it was announced that Cooper would be writing and directing a film based on the making ofBruce Springsteen's 1982 albumNebraska.[23] The film, titledSpringsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, was based on the 2023 book written byWarren Zanes, with the involvement of Springsteen and his managerJon Landau.[24][25]
In 2019, it was announced Cooper would directValhalla withChristian Bale starring, as well as a film adaptingJess Walter’sOver Tumbled Graves.[26]
Thomas Wolfe andWilliam Faulkner are literary influences.[27][4]
Films that have influenced Cooper include:Robert Altman'sNashville,Terrence Malick'sBadlands,John Huston'sFat City andPeter Bogdanovich'sThe Last Picture Show.[4]
His principal film-making mentor has been veteran actor, producer and director,Robert Duvall. He and Duvall met on the set ofGods and Generals and struck up a friendship. Cooper was married on Duvall's 300-acre (1.2 km2) Virginia estate.[28] The two appeared together inBroken Trail andGet Low, and Duvall produced and appeared in Cooper's filmCrazy Heart, along with an appearance inThe Pale Blue Eye.
Cooper is married and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jocelyne Cooper, and their son Aria and two daughters, Ava and Stella.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Crazy Heart | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2013 | Out of the Furnace | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2015 | Black Mass | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2017 | Hostiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2021 | Antlers | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2022 | The Pale Blue Eye | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Dry Martini | Robert | |
| 1999 | Perfect Fit | Guy in bar | |
| Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Klansman's Son – Bobby | ||
| 2000 | Takedown | Jake Cronin | Also known asHackers 2: Takedown |
| 2001 | Bill's Gun Shop | Dillion McCarthy | |
| Rain | Pvt. Holland | ||
| 2003 | Gods and Generals | Lt. Joseph Morrison | |
| Save It for Later | Jake O'Connor | Also known asWater Under the Bridge | |
| Attitude | Rails | ||
| 2009 | For Sale by Owner | Will Custis | Also the writer and co-producer |
| Get Low | Carl |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The X-Files | Max Harden | Episode: "Rush" |
| 2001 | The District | Michael Barrett | Episode: "Lost and Found" |
| 2006 | Broken Trail | Gilpin | Miniseries |
Work Actor | 2009 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2021 | 2022 | 2025 | TBA | TBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Bower† | |||||||||
| Ryan Bingham | |||||||||
| Robert Duvall | |||||||||
| Dicky Eklund, Jr. | |||||||||
| Mark Falvo | |||||||||
| Christian Bale | |||||||||
| Dendrie Taylor | |||||||||
| Rory Cochrane | |||||||||
| Jesse Plemons | |||||||||
| Scott Anderson | |||||||||
| Bill Camp | |||||||||
| Ava Cooper | |||||||||
| Stella Cooper | |||||||||
| Jeremy Strong |
