What Is Chris Cooper’s Net Worth?
Chris Cooper, an American actor, director, and producer, boasts a net worth of $6 million. His impressive acting career includes over 70 credits in film, TV, and theater. Cooper won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his role in “Adaptation” and has appeared in numerous notable films such as “American Beauty,” “The Bourne Identity,” and “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
In addition to his acting career, Cooper has lent his voice to animated films, played significant TV roles, and directed a segment in the drama “With/In: Volume 2.” He earned a Tony nomination for his performance in “A Doll’s House, Part 2” on Broadway. Cooper has also executive produced a documentary and continues to make waves in the entertainment industry.
Early Life and Career
Chris Cooper was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1951. He grew up in various cities and spent summers on his family’s cattle ranch. After high school, he worked in theater and joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve to avoid being drafted. He studied set design at the University of Missouri before switching to acting, and also studied dance. Cooper moved to New York City after college and worked odd jobs while studying with acting teachers. He made his Broadway debut in 1980.
Chris Cooper’s Acting Career
Chris Cooper started his acting career with guest appearances on soap operas like “All My Children” and “Another World.” He made his film debut in the 1987 drama “Matewan” directed by John Sayles. Cooper went on to appear in several films and TV movies such as “Lonesome Dove,” “This Boy’s Life,” “A Time to Kill,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “American Beauty,” “The Bourne Identity,” and “Adaptation.” He received several nominations and awards for his performances in these films.
Cooper also appeared in other movies like “Jarhead,” “Syriana,” “Breach,” “The Kingdom,” and “The Muppets.” He played Charles Aiken in the film adaptation of Tracy Letts’ play “August: Osage County” and portrayed J.D. Salinger in “Coming Through the Rye.” Cooper voiced Smokey in the Pixar film “Cars 3” and starred in the Fred Rogers biopic “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” alongside Tom Hanks. He also played Mr. Laurence in the adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.”
In 2020, Cooper appeared in the political comedy “Irresistible” and played Leonard Geist in the second season of the psychological thriller series “Homecoming.” He was later cast in the Hulu film “Boston Strangler.”
Chris Cooper’s Personal Life
Chris Cooper met Marianne Leone in an acting class in 1979, and they married on July 8, 1983. They had a son, Jesse, in October 1987, who was born prematurely and suffered from cerebral palsy. Jesse passed away suddenly on January 3, 2005, at the age of 17.
Chris and Marianne founded the Jesse Cooper Foundation in his memory two years later. In May 2016, the University of Massachusetts Lowell presented Cooper with an honorary doctorate during the school’s commencement ceremony.
Chris and Marianne have adopted numerous rescue dogs, and Leone revealed in an April 2021 post on her website that she was working on a book about rescues. She also wrote the book “Jesse: A Mother’s Story,” which is described as “an unforgettable memoir of joy, grief, and triumph.”
Chris Cooper’s Awards and Honors
In 2003, Chris Cooper won an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for “Adaptation.” He also received awards from various organizations such as the Central Ohio Film Critics Association, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards.
Cooper was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2003 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for “My House in Umbria” and received nominations from the Online Film & Television Association and Satellite Award for the TV movie. He won the Peter J. Owens Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2004 and received the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award at the Austin Film Festival in 2015.
Capri, Hollywood honored Cooper with a Capri Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and he and his “August: Osage County” co-stars won the Capri Ensemble Cast Award. The cast also earned awards from the Hollywood Film Awards and Nevada Film Critics Society. Cooper won Best Actor for “Lone Star” at the 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards and a Bronze Wrangler for Theatrical Motion Picture for “Thousand Pieces of Gold” at the 1992 Western Heritage Awards.
Cooper has also won AARP Movies for Grownups Awards for Best Actor for “Breach” (2008) and Best Supporting Actor for “August: Osage County” (2014). In 2000, he shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture with his “American Beauty” co-stars. In 2010, “The Town” cast won a National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble and a Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble.
