Rooney

Robert Coppola Schwartzman, born on December 24, 1982, in Los Angeles, California, is the driving force behind the American rock band Rooney. The son of actress Talia Shire and film producer Jack Schwartzman, Robert grew up in a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry, including his brother, actor and musician Jason Schwartzman, and relatives such as Francis Ford Coppola and Nicolas Cage. He founded Rooney in 1999 while attending Windward School in Los Angeles. During his first semester at Eugene Lang College in New York City in 2001, Schwartzman continued to write songs for Rooney, flying home monthly for performances. This period solidified his decision to pursue a professional music career with the band, leading him to leave college.

In early 2002, Rooney signed with Geffen/Interscope Records. The band recorded their self-titled debut album in June 2002, which was eventually released in May 2003 and sold approximately 500,000 copies. The album featured singles like “Blueside” and “I’m Shakin’.” “Blueside” was included on the “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004” soundtrack. Rooney gained further recognition with a cameo appearance on an episode of “The O.C.” in 2004. In 2007, they released their second album, “Calling the World,” which debuted at number 42 on the Billboard Top 100 Albums chart, with the single “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?”.

Beyond his band activities, Schwartzman has pursued a diverse career in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. He appeared in “The Princess Diaries” (2001) and directed films such as “Dreamland” (2016), “The Unicorn” (2018), and “The Argument” (2020). In 2018, he co-founded Utopia Media, a film distribution company, and in 2020, launched Altavod, a platform for filmmakers. Schwartzman has also released solo music, with his debut album “Double Capricorn” in 2011, and has composed scores, including for the 2013 film “Palo Alto.”