Dominic Cooper | |
|---|---|
 Cooper at the 2015San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | (1978-06-02)2 June 1978 (age 47) Greenwich, London, England |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Partner(s) | Ruth Negga (2010–2016) Gemma Chan (2018–present) |
Dominic Edward Cooper (born 2 June 1978)[1][2] is an English actor[3] known for his portrayal of comic book charactersJesse Custer on theAMC showPreacher (2016–2019) and youngHoward Stark in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, with appearances inCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011) and theABC seriesAgent Carter (2015–2016), among other Marvel productions. Cooper played Sky inMamma Mia! (2008) and its sequel,Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
Early in his career, Cooper was cast in significant roles in productions by theRoyal National Theatre andRoyal Shakespeare Company; he received acclaim for originating the role of Dakin in the 2004 playThe History Boys with which, in 2006, he returned to theWest End, transferred toBroadway, andadapted to film. Since that time, he has acted in a series of British and American productions, including the acclaimed period piecesAn Education (2009) andMy Week with Marilyn (2011), as well as action films, such asAbraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) andNeed for Speed (2014), and the fantasy filmWarcraft (2016).
Cooper was born and brought up inGreenwich, London,[4] the son of Julie (née Heron), a nursery school teacher, and Brian Cooper, an auctioneer.[5][6] He has two brothers, Simon and Nathan, a musician in the bandThe Modern, a half-brother, James, and a half-sister, Emma.[7][8] His maternal great-grandfather was film-enthusiastE. T. Heron, who publishedThe Kinematograph Weekly.
Dominic attendedJohn Ball Primary School in Blackheath, London, followed byThomas Tallis School in nearbyKidbrooke, then trained at theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in Professional Acting, graduating in 2000.[9]
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Cooper first worked in television and film before making his stage debut inMother Clap's Molly House at theNational Theatre in 2001. Cooper was involved inAlan Bennett's playThe History Boys, as the character Dakin, from its first reading.[10] He also toured with the production toBroadway,Sydney,Wellington andHong Kong as well as appearing in the radio andfilm adaptations of the play.[11][12][13] He has had notable roles in theRoyal National Theatre's adaptation of theHis Dark Materials trilogy where he played the lead characterWill Parry, the TV seriesDown To Earth andSense & Sensibility.
In 2008, he appeared as Sky inMamma Mia!, in which he sang several songs.[14] The same year, he appeared oppositeKeira Knightley inThe Duchess asCharles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey.[15] He starred in filmsAn Education andFreefall in 2009 and also played Hippolytus inPhèdre at theNational Theatre alongsideHelen Mirren andMargaret Tyzack.[16]
In 2010, he played rock drummer Ben in the filmTamara Drewe, and in 2011 played the leading roles ofLatif Yahia andUday Hussein, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's son in the biographical filmThe Devil's Double, which was critically acclaimed but criticised for whitewashing, and portrayedMilton H. Greene inMy Week with Marilyn.[15] 2011 was also the year Cooper first appeared asHoward Stark in theMarvel Cinematic Universe. Initially appearing in the filmCaptain America: The First Avenger, he reprised his role in theMarvel One-ShotAgent Carter two years later, and inthe television series of the same name in 2015 and 2016.
In 2012, he appeared as vampire Henry Sturges inAbraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Around this time, he was cast in the lead role in the unproducedAlbert Hughes projectMotor City based on theBlack Listed script of the same name.[17] In February 2012, he signed on to replace Clive Owen the financial thrillerCities, ultimately leavingMotor City.[18]Cities was cancelled after production delays.
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In 2014, he portrayed the main antagonist in two films: Dino Brewster inNeed for Speed andMehmed inDracula Untold.[15][19] Cooper depictedJames Bond authorIan Fleming in the television mini-seriesFleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond in 2014. The next year, he appeared in two films,Miss You Already andThe Lady in the Van, a film byNicholas Hytner, who had previously directed him in the stage adaptation ofHis Dark Materials and both theatrical and film versions ofThe History Boys.[20]
Cooper playedJesse Custer, the lead role inAMC'sPreacher;[21] the programme debuted in May 2016. He co-starred in theWarcraft film adaptation, which was released in June 2016.[22] In late 2016, he starred in a well-received West End revival of Stephen Jeffreys' 1994 play,The Libertine at theHaymarket Theatre; he played John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, the role originated on stage byJohn Malkovich and played byJohnny Depp in the 2004 film.[23]
Cooper reprised his role of Sky in 2018's sequel filmMamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Cooper shared a flat withJames Corden, his co-star inThe History Boys andStarter for 10, until Corden started a family with his wife, Julia Carey.[24] Cooper was responsible for introducing Corden to Julia, whom he had known for years and who was working atSave the Children when he and Corden called in one night.[25] He is also the godfather of Corden's first child, Max.[26]
Cooper dated hisMamma Mia! co-starAmanda Seyfried on and off from 2008 to 2009. From 2010 to 2016, he was in a relationship with Irish actressRuth Negga. They first met in 2009 on the set of theNational Theatre's production ofPhèdre, and starred opposite each other in other projects including the 2011 short filmHello Carter, the 2016 filmWarcraft, andAMC'sPreacher (2016–2019). They lived together in London'sPrimrose Hill.[27][28][29] Despite breaking up in 2016, the press first reported the split in April 2018.[30][31] Cooper has been in a relationship with actressGemma Chan since 2018.[32]
In August 2014, he was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September'sreferendum on that issue.[33] In 2023, he signed theArtists4Ceasefire's open letter to President Joe Biden calling for an immediate ceasefire during theGaza war.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Infinite Worlds of H. G. Wells | Sidney Davidson | Episode: "Davidson's Eyes" |
| Band of Brothers | Allington | Episode: "Currahee" | |
| 2003 | Sparkling Cyanide | Andy Hoffman | Television film |
| 2004 | Down To Earth | Danny Wood | Episode: "First Love" |
| 2008 | Sense and Sensibility | Mr. Willoughby | 3 episodes |
| God on Trial | Moche | Television film | |
| 2014 | Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond | Ian Fleming | Miniseries; Lead role, 4 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Agent Carter | Howard Stark | 5 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Preacher | Jesse Custer | Lead role, also executive producer (season 3–4); 43 episodes |
| 2018 | The Grand Tour | Himself (guest) | Series 2, Episode 5 |
| 2020 | Spy City | Fielding Scott | Miniseries; Lead role, 6 episodes; released in USA in 2021 |
| 2021–2024 | What If...? | Howard Stark (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | That Dirty Black Bag | Arthur McCoy | Lead role, 8 episodes |
| 2023 | The Gold | Edwyn Cooper | Main role, 6 episodes[35] |
| 2024 | My Lady Jane | Lord Seymour | Main role, 8 episodes[36] |
| 2024 | Suspect | Jon | Main role, 8 episodes[37] |
| 2025 | The Last Frontier | Havlock | series |
| TBA | Adultery | Tom Kirkman | Upcoming series[38] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The All-Colour Vegetarian Cookbook | Damien | |
| 2006 | The History Boys | Dakin |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Run | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Charley's Aunt | Repertory Theatre | August 1999 | ||
| 2001–2002 | Mother Clap's Molly House | Thomas / Josh | National Theatre – Lyttelton | Sept – Nov 2001 | Original production |
| 2002 | Caryl Churchill Events | Cliff / Young Man | Royal Court Theatre | October 2002 | Off-West End readings |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Puck | Royal Shakespeare Theatre | Feb – Mar 2002 | ||
| England, Spain, U.S. | Mar – June 2002 | International tour | |||
| Barbican Theatre | Apr – May 2002 | London residency during tour | |||
| 2003 | Call to Prayer | Operating Theatre Company | — | RADA reading | |
| 2003–2004 | His Dark Materials | Will | National Theatre – Olivier | Dec 2003 – Mar 2004 | Original production |
| 2004–2006 | The History Boys | Dakin | National Theatre – Lyttelton | May – July 2004 | Original production |
| Nov 2005 – Feb 2006 | |||||
| HKAPA | February 2006 | International tour | |||
| St. James Theatre | February 2006 | ||||
| Sydney Theatre | March 2006 | ||||
| Broadhurst Theatre | Apr – Oct 2006 | Broadway transfer | |||
| 2009 | Phèdre | Hippolytus | Lyttelton Theatre | June 2009 | |
| Shakespeare Theatre Company | September 2009 | Washington, D.C. transfer | |||
| 2016 | The Libertine | John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester | Theatre Royal | Aug – Sep 2016 | |
| Theatre Royal Haymarket | Sep – Dec 2016 | West End transfer |
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Independent Film Awards | 2006 | Best Newcomer | The History Boys | Nominated | [39] |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 2011 | Best Ensemble Cast | My Week with Marilyn | Nominated | |
| Dublin Film Critics' Circle | 2007 | Best Lead Actor | The Devil's Double | Nominated | |
| Drama Desk Award | 2006 | Best Actor | The History Boys | Nominated | [40] |
| Empire Awards | 2008 | Best Male Newcomer | The History Boys andStarter for 10 | Nominated | |
| London Film Critics' Circle Awards | Best British Supporting Actor | The History Boys | Nominated | [41] | |
| Online Film & Television Association | 2015 | Best Guest Actor in a Drama | Agent Carter | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2010 | Best Performance by an Ensemble | An Education | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | 2015 | Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie made for Television | Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | 2011 | Best Actor | Devil's Double | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Best Guest Actor | Agent Carter | Nominated |
There are few 31-year-old actors who can claim...
Age: 27
