Cooper Hoffman, 23, son of the late Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, has reflected on his decision to pursue acting and expressed his hope that his father would be proud of his career. Philip Seymour Hoffman died in 2014 at the age of 46 from an accidental overdose.
"I don't know what he'd think. It's so complex. I hope he'd be happy," Cooper said in an interview with The Times when asked about his father's potential reaction to his career. "If there is a heaven and if he is looking down I hope he's happy. I hope he's proud, I hope he's angry, I hope he's all the things that a father would feel about their son doing this job."
Cooper, whose mother is costume designer Mimi O'Donnell, also discussed his relationship with actress Nico Parker, daughter of Thandiwe Newton. "Nico is fantastic. Really fantastic," he stated.
The couple met in late 2024 while filming Maude Apatow's directorial debut, Poetic License, and became official after filming concluded. Cooper shared that he asked Parker to be his girlfriend when she visited his mother in New York.
Cooper made his acting debut in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 film Licorice Pizza, playing the lead role of Gary Valentine. He acknowledged the role's connection to nepotism, stating, "Fortunately, because of nepotism, I've known Paul my whole life."
His filmography also includes The Long Walk, based on Stephen King's novel, released in 2025, and I Want Your Sex, which was released last month and features Olivia Wilde. Cooper noted that he and his father used to watch Wilde in the TV series House together.
Cooper's next role will be as OpenAI co-founder Gregory Brockman in Luca Guadagnino's upcoming comedy-drama Artificial, alongside Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, Zosia Mamet, and Chris O'Dowd.
Philip Seymour Hoffman's documented struggles with addiction preceded his death. Following his passing, court documents revealed that he had chosen not to set up a trust fund for his three children, including Cooper, Tallulah, 19, and Willa, 17, as he did not want them to be "trust fund" kids. His estimated $35 million fortune was designated to go to Mimi O'Donnell, his longtime partner and the mother of his children.