Chris Cooper

An intense character actor with a knack for playing taciturn authority figures, Chris Cooper came to prominence following his third collaboration with director John Sayles, "Lone Star" (1996), which put him on Hollywood's radar and opened the doors to a wider range of projects. His first film with Sayles, "Matewan" (1987), was also his feature debut. Though critically acclaimed and recognized in the indie world, Cooper waited almost another decade before finally earning the recognition he deserved. Three years after "Lone Star," he had his breakout performance in "American Beauty" (1999) as a repressed former Marine, which called attention to his talents and put him very much in demand. Cooper had one of his greater triumphs with his turn as real-life orchid poacher John Laroche in "Adaptation" (2002), a role that earned him his first Academy Award. He soon found favor with audiences with strong supporting performances in "The Bourne Identity" (2002) and "Seabiscuit" (2003), while serving as the moral conscience to a suffering Truman Capote in "Capote" (2005). Though he offered a compelling leading turn as convicted turncoat Robert Hanssen in "Breach" (2007), Cooper's gifts were better served in co-starring roles in "The Town" (2010) and "August: Osage County" (2013), which offered the actor a more colorful palate from which to drawer richer characterizations, making him one of the most sought-after supporting actors in Hollywood. His move to television in the streaming limited series "11.22.63" (Hulu 2016) opened up a new range of options for the gifted actor.