Cooper Koch grew up in Los Angeles — July 16, 1996 — the sort of childhood threaded through community theater, a twin brother named Payton, and movie-set dinner conversations because family is in the business. His grandfather, Hawk Koch, and great-grandfather, Howard W. Koch, left film-world footprints; Cooper’s own path started earlier than most: community theater at five, a first on-screen turn in 2007, then a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pace University in 2018. It wasn’t accidental. He wanted craft.

On screen he’s been deliberate. In 2022 he appeared as Stu in They/Them and as Benjamin in Swallowed — two films that stretched him in different directions — and in 2024 he took on Erik Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, a role that prompted public conversation and a personal statement: he believes the Menendez brothers didn’t receive a fair trial and speaks about that history with conviction. Off camera he models, notably debuting with Calvin Klein for underwear and denim — Icon Cotton Stretch underwear, Baggy Jeans, Cotton Classic Tank and a Denim Shirt featured on CalvinKlein.com — and teaches yoga when schedules allow. He’s openly gay and vocal about LGBTQ+ causes, candid about the narrow boxes actors are often placed in, and clear that he wants to be seen beyond one label.

His ambitions are straightforward and a bit old-fashioned: more film, a Broadway run, and someday adapting queer literary work for stage or screen. There’s hunger in that wish. Imperfect, curious, and relentless — Cooper keeps choosing roles that force him to grow.