Dominic Cooper
Encyclopedia
Dominic Edward Cooper (born 2 June 1978) is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess
, The History Boys
, and The Devil's Double
.
, London, the son of Julia (née Heron), a nursery school teacher, and Brian Cooper, an auctioneer. His maternal great-grandfather was film enthusiast E.T. Heron
, who published The Kinematograph Weekly
. He attended the Thomas Tallis School
in Blackheath
, and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
(LAMDA), graduating in 2000. He also attended John Ball Primary school, the same school that actor Jude Law
attended.
at the National Theatre
in 2001.
Cooper was involved in Alan Bennett
's play The History Boys
from its first reading. He also toured with the production to Broadway, Sydney, Wellington
and Hong Kong as well as appearing in the radio and film
adaptations of the play.
In 2005, Cooper also appeared in a commercial for condom
company Durex
.
He has had notable roles in the Royal National Theatre
's adaptation of the His Dark Materials
trilogy where he played the lead character Will Parry, the TV series Down To Earth
and Sense & Sensibility
. He is possibly best known for his work in Mamma Mia!
, in which he sang several songs. In the film, his character was engaged to the daughter (played by Amanda Seyfried
) of the lead (Meryl Streep
).
He appears opposite Keira Knightley in The Duchess
and can also be seen in An Education
.
He guest stars in the "Aspinol" sketch in his The History Boys co-star James Corden's
BBC3 show Horne & Corden
. In 2009 he played Hippolytus in Phedre
at the National Theatre
alongside Helen Mirren
and Margaret Tyzack
.
for his work on the Broadway production of The History Boys.
He was nominated for the for Most Promising Newcomer (On Screen) award at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards
and has been nominated for the British Film Critics Circle's 2006 award for British actor in support for his work on the film version of The History Boys.
star Amanda Seyfried
but in May 2010 they ended the relationship on account of their living in different countries. Seyfried is quoted as saying 'never date someone who does not live in the same country as you'. He is good friends with his former The History Boys
co-star, James Corden
. Cooper lived for a while in Corden's house until Corden started a family with his girlfriend.
The Duchess (film)
The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
, The History Boys
The History Boys
The History Boys is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Lyttelton Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where there were 185 performances staged before it closed on 1 October 2006.The play won multiple...
, and The Devil's Double
The Devil's Double
The Devil's Double is a 2011 drama film directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Dominic Cooper, Philip Quast, Ludivine Sagnier and Raad Rawi. It was released on January 22, 2011 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released in limited theaters on July 29, 2011 by Lionsgate and Herrick...
.
Early life
Cooper was born and brought up in GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, London, the son of Julia (née Heron), a nursery school teacher, and Brian Cooper, an auctioneer. His maternal great-grandfather was film enthusiast E.T. Heron
E.T. Heron
Edward Thomas "E.T." Heron was a pioneering film enthusiast, printer and publisher of the seminal The Kinematograph Weekly. An industrialist and printing entrepreneur, he established a wide range of titles many of which are now household names. He became Mayor of St Pancras in 1908, and was also a...
, who published The Kinematograph Weekly
Kine Weekly
The Kinematograph Weekly, popularly known as Kine Weekly, was a trade newspaper catering to the British film industry. It was published in Britain between 1889 and 1971.-Publication history:...
. He attended the Thomas Tallis School
Thomas Tallis School
Thomas Tallis School is a large mixed comprehensive school for pupils aged 11-19, located in Kidbrooke in the Borough of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. The school is a specialist Arts College, Leading Edge School and national School of Creativity....
in Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
(LAMDA), graduating in 2000. He also attended John Ball Primary school, the same school that actor Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
attended.
Career
He first worked in television and film before making his stage debut in Mother Clap's Molly HouseMother Clap's Molly House
Mother Clap's Molly House is a play by Mark Ravenhill with music by Matthew Scott. It is based on an essay in the book of the same name by Rictor Norton.The play is a black comedy and explores the diversity of human sexuality...
at the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in 2001.
Cooper was involved in Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
's play The History Boys
The History Boys
The History Boys is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Lyttelton Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where there were 185 performances staged before it closed on 1 October 2006.The play won multiple...
from its first reading. He also toured with the production to Broadway, Sydney, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Hong Kong as well as appearing in the radio and film
The History Boys (film)
The History Boys is a 2006 British comedy-drama film adapted by Alan Bennett from his play of the same name, which won the 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play...
adaptations of the play.
In 2005, Cooper also appeared in a commercial for condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
company Durex
Durex
Durex is the trademarked name for a range of condoms that used to be made by British company SSL International. This company was sold to Reckitt Benckiser in July 2010....
.
He has had notable roles in the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
's adaptation of the His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
trilogy where he played the lead character Will Parry, the TV series Down To Earth
Down to Earth (UK TV series)
Down to Earth was a BBC One television series first broadcast in 2000 about a couple who start a new life on a Devon farm. The early episodes of the series were based on a series of books written by Faith Addis about their real-life move from London to Devon.The music in the series was composed by...
and Sense & Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility (2008 TV serial)
Sense and Sensibility is a 2008 British television serial adapted by the BBC from Jane Austen's novel of the same name. It was written by Andrew Davies and directed by John Alexander. The serial was aired on BBC One in three parts on 1, 6 and 13 January 2008. It aired the United States in two...
. He is possibly best known for his work in Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! (film)
Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
, in which he sang several songs. In the film, his character was engaged to the daughter (played by Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
) of the lead (Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
).
He appears opposite Keira Knightley in The Duchess
The Duchess (film)
The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
and can also be seen in An Education
An Education
An Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,...
.
He guest stars in the "Aspinol" sketch in his The History Boys co-star James Corden's
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
BBC3 show Horne & Corden
Horne & Corden
Horne & Corden was a British sketch show written by Jon Brown, Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, Tim Inman and the cast, script edited by Sam Ward, and starring Mathew Horne and James Corden. It aired on BBC television in 2009. The first episode was broadcast on 10 March 2009 on BBC Three...
. In 2009 he played Hippolytus in Phedre
Phèdre
Phèdre is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677.-Composition and premiere:...
at the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
alongside Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
and Margaret Tyzack
Margaret Tyzack
Margaret Maud Tyzack, CBE was a British actress.-Early life:Tyzack was born in Essex, England, the daughter of Doris and Thomas Edward Tyzack. She grew up in West Ham...
.
Recognition and awards
Cooper was nominated for a 2006 Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for his work on the Broadway production of The History Boys.
He was nominated for the for Most Promising Newcomer (On Screen) award at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards
British Independent Film Awards
The Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
and has been nominated for the British Film Critics Circle's 2006 award for British actor in support for his work on the film version of The History Boys.
Personal life
He was in a relationship with fellow Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia! (film)
Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
star Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
but in May 2010 they ended the relationship on account of their living in different countries. Seyfried is quoted as saying 'never date someone who does not live in the same country as you'. He is good friends with his former The History Boys
The History Boys (film)
The History Boys is a 2006 British comedy-drama film adapted by Alan Bennett from his play of the same name, which won the 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play...
co-star, James Corden
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
. Cooper lived for a while in Corden's house until Corden started a family with his girlfriend.
Selected credits
Theatre
- 2001: Mother Clap's Molly HouseMother Clap's Molly HouseMother Clap's Molly House is a play by Mark Ravenhill with music by Matthew Scott. It is based on an essay in the book of the same name by Rictor Norton.The play is a black comedy and explores the diversity of human sexuality...
(Lyttelton Theatre, Royal National Theatre, 2001), Thomas/ Josh - 2002: Caryl Churchill Events (Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, 2002) - 2002: A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
(Royal Shakespeare CompanyRoyal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
, 2002), Puck - 2003: His Dark MaterialsHis Dark MaterialsHis Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
Parts I & II (Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre, 2003/04), Will - 2003: Call To Prayer (RADA/ Operating Theatre Company, 2003 – rehearsed reading)
- 2004: The History BoysThe History BoysThe History Boys is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Lyttelton Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where there were 185 performances staged before it closed on 1 October 2006.The play won multiple...
(Lyttelton Theatre, Royal National TheatreRoyal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, 2004), Dakin - 2006: The History Boys (Broadhurst TheatreBroadhurst TheatreThe Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
, Broadway, 2006), Dakin - 2006: The History Boys (Sydney Theatre, Sydney, 2006), Dakin
- 2006: The History Boys (St James, Wellington, 2006), Dakin
- 2006: The History Boys (Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong, 2006)
- 2009: Phèdre (Royal National TheatreRoyal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, London (NT Live), June 2009), Hippolytus - 2009: Phèdre (Shakespeare Theatre CompanyShakespeare Theatre CompanyThe Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. Their self professed mission "is to present classic theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights’ language and intentions while viewing their...
, Washington DC, September 2009), Hippolytus
Film
- 2001: From HellFrom Hell (film)From Hell is a 2001 American crime drama horror mystery film directed by the Hughes brothers. It is an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell about the Jack the Ripper murders.-Plot:...
– Constable #3 - 2001: Anazapta – Clerk
- 2002: The Gentleman ThiefThe Gentleman ThiefThe Gentleman Thief is a 2001 British television adaptation of the A.J. Raffles stories by Ernest William Hornung. It features performances from Nigel Havers as A. J. Raffles and Michael French as Ellis Bride. It was directed by Justin Hardy....
– PC Merrifield - 2002: The Final Curtain – Young Priest
- 2003: BoudicaBoudica (film)Boudica is a British film released in 2003. Starring Alex Kingston, Steven Waddington and Emily Blunt, the film is a biopic of the queen of the Iceni tribe, Boudica.- Production :...
– Unknown - 2003: I'll Be There – Boyfriend
- 2005: Breakfast on PlutoBreakfast on Pluto (film)Breakfast on Pluto is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Neil Jordan and based on the novel of the same name by Patrick McCabe, as adapted by Jordan and McCabe...
– Squaddie at Disco - 2006: Starter for 10 – Spencer
- 2006: The History BoysThe History Boys (film)The History Boys is a 2006 British comedy-drama film adapted by Alan Bennett from his play of the same name, which won the 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play...
– Dakin - 2008: The DuchessThe Duchess (film)The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
– GreyCharles Grey, 2nd Earl GreyCharles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the... - 2008: Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia! (film)Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
– Sky - 2008: The EscapistThe Escapist (2008 film)The Escapist is a 2008 drama thriller starring Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Liam Cunningham, Seu Jorge, Dominic Cooper, Steven Mackintosh, Stephen Farrelly and Damian Lewis. It is directed and co-written by Rupert Wyatt, and premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to considerable acclaim...
– Lacey - 2009: Brief Interviews with Hideous MenBrief Interviews with Hideous Men (film)Brief Interviews with Hideous Men is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski, based on a short story collection of the same name by David Foster Wallace.-Plot:...
– Daniel/Subject #46 - 2009: An EducationAn EducationAn Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,...
– Danny - 2010: Tamara DreweTamara Drewe (film)Tamara Drewe is a 2010 comedy film directed by Stephen Frears.The screenplay was written by Moira Buffini, based on the newspaper comic strip of the same name written by Posy Simmonds...
– Ben - 2011: A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures – Sammy
- 2011: Captain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
– Howard StarkHoward StarkHoward Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:... - 2011: Hello Darkness – Mark Cooper
- 2011: The Devil's DoubleThe Devil's DoubleThe Devil's Double is a 2011 drama film directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Dominic Cooper, Philip Quast, Ludivine Sagnier and Raad Rawi. It was released on January 22, 2011 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released in limited theaters on July 29, 2011 by Lionsgate and Herrick...
– Latif Yahia/Uday Hussein - 2011: My Week with MarilynMy Week with MarilynMy Week with Marilyn is a British drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Adrian Hodges. It stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Dougray Scott, Judi Dench and Emma Watson. Based on two books by Colin Clark, it depicts the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the...
– Milton Greene - 2012: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterAbraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (film)Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a 2012 American supernatural film based on the 2010 mashup novel Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and is produced by Bekmambetov and Tim Burton. The novel's author, Seth Grahame-Smith, wrote the adapted screenplay...
– Henry Sturgess
Television
- 2001: The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells: Davidson's Eyes Sidney Davids
- 2003: Sparkling CyanideSparkling CyanideSparkling Cyanide is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1945 under the title of Remembered Death and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in the December of the same year under Christie's original title...
, adaptation of the Agatha ChristieAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
book, Andy Hoffman - 2004: Down To EarthDown to Earth (UK TV series)Down to Earth was a BBC One television series first broadcast in 2000 about a couple who start a new life on a Devon farm. The early episodes of the series were based on a series of books written by Faith Addis about their real-life move from London to Devon.The music in the series was composed by...
Danny Wood - 2008: Sense and SensibilitySense and Sensibility (2008 TV serial)Sense and Sensibility is a 2008 British television serial adapted by the BBC from Jane Austen's novel of the same name. It was written by Andrew Davies and directed by John Alexander. The serial was aired on BBC One in three parts on 1, 6 and 13 January 2008. It aired the United States in two...
Mr Willoughby - 2008: Never Mind The BuzzcocksNever Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
(09/10/2008) Himself - 2008: God on TrialGod on TrialGod on Trial is a 2008 BBC/WGBH Boston television play written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, starring Antony Sher, Rupert Graves and Jack Shepherd. The play takes place in Auschwitz during World War II. The Jewish prisoners put God on trial in absentia for abandoning the Jewish people...
Moche - 2009: Friday Night with Jonathan RossFriday Night with Jonathan RossFriday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
Himself - 2009: Freefall Dave
- 2010: Chris Moyles' Quiz NightChris Moyles' Quiz NightChris Moyles' Quiz Night is a British television comedy game show, presented by Chris Moyles. It was first broadcast on 22 March 2009 and is in its fifth series....
Himself
Radio
- 2005: The All-Colour Vegetarian Cookbook Damien
- 2006: The History Boys Dakin