Chuck Cooper (born November 8, 1954) is an American actor. He won the 1997
for his performance as the pimp Memphis in ''
The Life''.
Career
Cooper made his
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in 1983 in the musical ''
Amen Corner'', playing the role of Brother Boxer. He was an understudy in the original Broadway casts of his next three shows: ''
Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
''Someone Who'll Watch over Me'' is a play written by Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness. The play focuses on the trials and tribulations of an Irishman, an Englishman and an American (Edward, Michael, and Adam) who are kidnapped and held hostage ...
'' (he eventually took over the role of Adam), ''
Passion'', and ''Getting Away with Murder.''
Cooper won the
for his performance as the pimp Memphis in the 1997 Broadway production of the musical ''
The Life''.
Cooper has also appeared in ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'' as Billy Flynn, ''
Caroline, or Change
''Caroline, or Change'' is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Tony Kushner. The score combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music.
The show ran both Off-Broadway and on Broad ...
'' as the dual role of The Bus and The Dryer, and ''
Finian's Rainbow'' as Bill Rawkins, as well as
benefit performances of ''
Hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
'' and ''
A Wonderful Life''. In February 2010 he was the narrator in the U.S. premiere of ''Seven Scenes from Hamlet'', by the Spanish composer
Benet Casablancas, at the
Miller Theatre
Miller Theatre at Columbia University is located on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University. It is a performing arts producer dedicated to developing and presenting new music.
In 1988, the former McMillin Theater was renovated an ...
in Manhattan.
In 2015, Cooper appeared on Broadway as the slave Thomas in the new musical
''Amazing Grace'', at the
Nederlander Theatre
The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, it was des ...
. The musical is about
John Newton
John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...
, the redeemed slave-trader who wrote the hymn "
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
". In 2021, he returned for the Broadway debut production of
Alice Childress
Alice Childress (October 12, 1916 – August 14, 1994) was an American novelist, playwright, and actress, acknowledged as "the only African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic ...
's 1955 play
''Trouble in Mind'', at
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
History
The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...
's
American Airlines Theatre
The American Airlines Theatre, originally the Selwyn Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 227 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Built in 1918, it was designed by George Keister and developed by brothe ...
. For this performance, he has been nominated for the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
for
Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Personal life
Cooper has three children—Eddie, Alex, and
Lilli—from his first marriage.
His son Eddie has performed on television and on stage. In May 2009, Cooper and playwright
Deborah Brevoort were married in
Carmel, New York
Carmel (pronounced ) is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town had a population of 33,576. The town may have been named after Mount Carmel in Israel.
The Town of Carmel is on the souther ...
, after almost ten years of dating. Their initial meeting and eventual engagement were covered in a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' website video.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
TonyAwards.com "Tony Memory" interview with Chuck Cooper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Chuck
1954 births
Living people
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
African-American male actors
Male actors from Cleveland
Tony Award winners
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
20th-century African-American male singers
21st-century African-American people