Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, has spoken about his journey into acting and his hopes of making his father proud. The 23-year-old reflected on the complexities of following in his father's footsteps, who died in 2014 at the age of 46 from an accidental overdose.
"I hope he'd be happy. 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 said in an interview with The Times.
Cooper, whose mother is costume designer Mimi O'Donnell, acknowledged the role of nepotism in his career. He noted that his breakthrough role in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 film Licorice Pizza, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination at 18, was facilitated by his connection to the director. "Fortunately, because of nepotism, I've known Paul my whole life," he stated. He also recalled watching Olivia Wilde's television series House with his father, and later had the opportunity to work with Wilde in his recent film I Want Your Sex.
His filmography also includes a role in the 2025 film The Long Walk, based on Stephen King's novel. His upcoming project is Luca Guadagnino's comedy drama Artificial, where he will portray OpenAI co-founder Gregory Brockman alongside a cast including Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro.
Cooper also addressed his relationship with Nico Parker, 21, daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton. Describing Parker as "fantastic," Cooper shared that they met in late 2024 while filming Maude Apatow's directorial debut, Poetic License. The couple began officially dating a few weeks after filming concluded, with Parker visiting Cooper's mother in New York, where he asked her to be his girlfriend.
Philip Seymour Hoffman's estate was reportedly valued at approximately $35 million. Court documents revealed that he had not set up a trust fund for his three children, including Cooper, Tallulah (19), and Willa (17). Instead, he intended for his fortune to go to their mother, Mimi O'Donnell, whom he met in 1999. The actor, who had struggled with drug addiction, had reportedly been clean for 23 years before his death. He had previously checked himself into rehab for heroin abuse in May 2013.