Scott Cooper (director)
| Scott Cooper (director) | |
|---|---|
 at the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles on March 5, 2010. |
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| Born | Abingdon, Virginia U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor/Writer/Director/Producer |
| Years active | 1998–present |
Scott Cooper (born 1970) is an American actor, writer, 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 mini-series Broken Trail.
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[edit] Personal life
Cooper trained as an actor at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City, N.Y.. He received his undergraduate degree in 1992 from Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia.
Cooper was born in Abingdon, Virginia.[1] He is also a 1988 graduate of Abingdon High School.
He is married and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jocelyne. He has two daughters, Ava and Stella.[2]
[edit] Influences
Cooper's influences come from life experiences of growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and stories of the human condition. Besides the music of Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe, Cooper has been influenced by singer-songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Merle Haggard, and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe.
Thomas Wolfe and William Faulkner, who Cooper says taught his father as a student at the University of Virginia, are literary influences.[3][4]
Films that have influenced Cooper include: Robert Altman's "Nashville," Terence Malick's "Badlands," John Huston's "Fat City (film)" and Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show."[4]
Cooper's 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.[5] The two appeared together in Broken Trail and Duvall produced and appeared in Cooper's film Crazy Heart.
[edit] Filmography & Career
[edit] Director
- 2011: 'The Emperor's Children'
- 2009: Crazy Heart
[edit] Producer
- 2009: For Sale by Owner - co-producer
- 2009: Crazy Heart
- 2011: Are You Afraid of the Dark - co-producer
[edit] Screenwriter
- 2009: For Sale by Owner - co-producer
- 2009: Crazy Heart
- 2011: Contracted with Relativity Media to write and direct Out of the Furnace [6]
[edit] Actor
- 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), also known as 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
[edit] 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
[edit] Notes
- ^ Cooper has mentioned this in interviews, including the Roanoke Times, Feb. 5, 2010. See the full article
- ^ Roanoke Times, February 5, 2010
- ^ Variety, Jan. 20, 2010
- ^ a b L.A. Times, Dec. 22, 2009
- ^ Interview
- ^ Scott Cooper to Direct Relativity’s Out of the Furnace
[edit] External links
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