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Cooper Hoffman: ‘I Want Your Sex’, ‘Artificial’ & The Weight of Legacy
Cooper Hoffman: From Movie Set PA to Hollywood’s Next Big Thing
TL;DR: Cooper Hoffman, son of legendary actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, is carving his own path in Hollywood. After a surprise debut in Licorice Pizza, he worked as a COVID production assistant on Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, and now stars in boundary-pushing films like I Want Your Sex and Artificial—all while navigating fame, grief, and his love for the Knicks.
Who Is Cooper Hoffman?
Imagine growing up with an Oscar-winning dad who was one of the greatest actors of his generation. That’s Cooper Hoffman’s reality. But instead of coasting on his famous last name, this 23-year-old is doing something surprising: he’s starting from the bottom and taking big risks.
Quick Facts About Cooper
- Age: 23 (born 2003)
- Parents: Philip Seymour Hoffman (dad) & Mimi O’Donnell (mom)
- Breakout Role: Gary Valentine in Licorice Pizza (2021)
- Current Home Base: New York City (West Village)
- Favorite Team: New York Knicks (die-hard fan)
- Girlfriend: Actress Nico Parker (met on set of Poetic License)
The Unusual Beginning: A Star Who Started as a PA
Most actors who land a lead role in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie would immediately get treated like royalty. Not Cooper.
The "See Both Sides" Lesson
After wrapping Licorice Pizza but before it came out, director Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA) sent Cooper to work on Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans as a COVID Production Assistant.
What’s a COVID PA?
Think of it as the most entry-level job on a movie set. Cooper sat at a folding table with a clipboard, checking people in for daily nasal swab tests. No glamour. No trailer. Just a folding table and a lot of noses.
Important Point:
PTA told Cooper: "You’ve seen how this side lives, now you have to see the other side."
He wanted Cooper to understand the grind of filmmaking—not just the spotlight.
Meeting Spielberg
When Spielberg found out Cooper (the star of PTA’s new movie) was working as a PA, his reaction: "Why didn’t I know about this?"
They arranged a quick meeting. Cooper describes it like "meeting the president." Spielberg was lovely, praised Licorice Pizza, and talked for about five minutes. But the lesson stuck: everyone on set matters.
Growing Up Hoffman: Not What You’d Expect
A Normal(ish) New York Childhood
- Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
- School: Public school through 8th grade → Harbor School (marine biology focus on Governors Island) → Calhoun School (private arts school, thanks to Daniel Day-Lewis!)
- Hobbies: Pickup basketball by the Hudson, BLTs at La Bonbonniere (his dad’s and Ethan Hawke’s spot), art house movies
- Grades: "Bad" — he had zero academic ambition
The "Uncle Paul" Factor
After his dad died when Cooper was only 10, PTA stepped in as "Uncle Paul." He:
- Directed home movies with Cooper and his own kids
- Brought Cooper to film sets (especially Phantom Thread)
- Showed him the joy of filmmaking: "Wait, you just get to bring a bunch of people you like together and make something?"
That’s when Cooper finally understood why his dad left for months at a time.
The Licorice Pizza Whirlwind
How He Got the Part
- PTA auditioned dozens of actors
- Nothing felt right — he realized he needed a novice (someone with no professional experience)
- Cooper was 15, had never acted professionally, but had:
- On-set exposure from childhood
- Time in front of PTA’s home camera
- The genes (let’s be honest)
What It Felt Like
"I fully thought we were going to be shooting on an iPhone, I swear to God. I couldn’t process: We’re shooting on film, Sean Penn is in this movie, I’m filming with Bradley Cooper. And I’m the lead."
The COVID bubble helped. The cast/crew was tiny. Cooper, his mom, and sisters lived three houses down from PTA and Maya Rudolph. No outside world. No pressure. Just work.
The Crash After
When the movie came out and awards season hit, Cooper was 17. Suddenly people wanted photos, interviews, opinions.
"I don’t know what the fuck I think about things, I’m only 17 and I’ve done one single movie."
When it ended? Massive crash. All his friends went to college. He was left processing 18 months of madness.
The "Inner Circle" Phase: Safe Choices
After Licorice Pizza, Cooper gravitated toward projects connected to his dad’s world — what Andrew Garfield calls "every male actor over 40 wants to be his mentor."
Movies in This Phase:
| Movie | Director | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday Night | Jason Reitman | Grew up in the industry (dad = Ivan Reitman) |
| Wildcat | Ethan Hawke | Dad’s LAByrinth Theater Company member; Maya Hawke = childhood friend |
| The Long Walk | Francis Lawrence | Last person to work with Philip Seymour Hoffman (Mockingjay) |
| Poetic License | Maude Apatow | Directorial debut; mom = Leslie Mann |
Why these felt safe: People who knew his dad, cared about him, and understood the legacy.
Andrew Garfield: "Every male actor over 40 wants to be his mentor… Cooper laughs about it: ‘Yeah, get in line behind Daniel Day-Lewis, buddy.’ "
The Pivot: Getting Uncomfortable on Purpose
At 23, Cooper decided: No more safety net. He’s taking on two of the year’s most provocative films.
1. I Want Your Sex (Gregg Araki)
The Premise: A boundary-pushing explicit comedy about a young intern (Cooper) in a dom-sub relationship with his famous artist boss (Olivia Wilde).
What Cooper Does in This Movie (Deep Breath):
- Bondage scenes
- A threesome (with Olivia Wilde & Chase Sui Wonders)
- Pegging scene
- Masturbates onscreen
- Simulates bad/awkward sex with Charli XCX
He’d NEVER filmed a sex scene before this.
Why He Said Yes:
- Gregg Araki (cult director, Mysterious Skin) had tried making this for 20 years
- Originally written as male dom / female sub — Araki gender-swapped it after #MeToo
- Most young actors passed — "weren’t secure enough to play a sub"
- Cooper read the script, felt nerves, and thought: "That’s exactly why I should do it."
- Flew himself to LA for a chemistry read with Olivia Wilde → that cinched it
On Set Vibes:
- Day 1: Getting spanked repeatedly
- Day 2: The threesome — turned into a crackup (sound guy staring at ceiling making small talk)
- Charli XCX: Cooper met her at 19, "shit-faced at a music festival" — apologized immediately on their call. She loved him: "He’s fearless and fabulous."
The Premiere Panic:
At Sundance, during his masturbation scene: "Please shut it off. Please shut it off."
Now? Proud and excited for people to see it.
2. Artificial (Luca Guadagnino)
The Premise: An OpenAI exposé about the 5 days Sam Altman was fired and rehired.
Cooper’s Role: Greg Brockman — OpenAI president, Altman’s right-hand man ("little henchman" to Andrew Garfield’s Altman).
Guadagnino’s Direction: "Play it as though your character would leave his wife for Altman."
The Amazon Drama:
- Amazon invested $50 million in OpenAI
- Then dropped the film (too close to home?)
- Neon acquired it — planning 2026 release + awards campaign
Cooper’s Honest Reaction When It Got Dropped:
Relief.
He struggled on set — shaved head, black hair, felt like a "tech bro" (which Garfield & Chase Sui Wonders confirm he nailed). He hates AI: "I’ve never used it, and I hate it so much. If I’m making a reservation, I will only call the restaurant."
The Knicks Championship: A Story About Grief
This might be the most human part of the whole article.
The Setup:
- Lifelong Knicks fan (dad took him to games)
- 2026: Knicks win NBA championship (first since 1973!)
- Cooper was in London for his girlfriend’s sister’s wedding
- Watched the final game alone on his phone at 3 AM
The Complicated Feelings:
"I love this team… this is a thing I’ve wanted for 23 years. I was sad not to be in New York celebrating with my city, but the only person I really wanted to be celebrating with was my dad. I just feel like it’s such a shame my dad didn’t get to see it."
He also missed the ticker-tape parade because he was filming in Vancouver. Blames Trump’s appearance at the one Finals game he attended for the loss that night. (Classic Knicks fan logic.)
What’s Next?
Upcoming Projects:
- Hulu Pilot — Lead role as washed-up snowboarder pulled into criminal underworld (filming in Vancouver now)
- The Chaperones — Second collab with The Long Walk co-star David Jonsson (indie director India Donaldson)
- Poetic License — Finally getting released (Sony Pictures Classics, 2027) after distributor Row K collapsed
- Fun fact: Met girlfriend Nico Parker on this set. Officially started dating after she came to NY to meet his mom.
His Philosophy:
"Big K.R.I.T. has a line: ‘Most rappers hopin’ the world end so they won’t have to drop another album.’ That’s how I feel about movies sometimes."
But Hollywood keeps calling. And he keeps answering.
Summary: Why Cooper Hoffman Matters
| What Makes Him Different | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Started as a PA on a Spielberg set after his breakout | Humility, work ethic, understands every job on set |
| Chose "inner circle" projects first | Smart, protected growth, learned from people who loved his dad |
| Now taking HUGE risks (I Want Your Sex, Artificial) | Proves he’s not coasting on the name; forging his own identity |
| Open about grief, anxiety, doubt | Refreshingly honest in an industry of polished images |
| Hates AI, loves the Knicks, misses his lamps | Relatable human, not just a "nepo baby" stereotype |
Bottom Line: Cooper Hoffman could’ve been just "Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son." Instead, he’s becoming Cooper Hoffman — an actor willing to be vulnerable, weird, uncomfortable, and real. On screen and off.
FAQ
1. Is Cooper Hoffman just famous because of his dad?
No — and that’s the whole point of this story. His dad got him access (PTA, Ethan Hawke, etc.), but Cooper chose to start as a PA, chose safe projects first to learn, and chose now to take massive creative risks most actors wouldn’t touch. He’s earning his own career.
2. What is I Want Your Sex actually about?
It’s a comedy by cult director Gregg Araki about a young intern (Cooper) who enters a dominant/submissive relationship with his famous artist boss (Olivia Wilde). Originally written with genders reversed — Araki flipped it post-#MeToo. It’s explicit, boundary-pushing, and Cooper does things onscreen most actors would refuse.
3. Why did Amazon drop Artificial?
Amazon had invested $50 million in OpenAI (the company the movie is about). The film covers the chaotic 5 days Sam Altman was fired and rehired. Amazon likely felt it was a conflict of interest. Neon picked it up and plans a 2026 awards-season release.
4. How does Cooper feel about his dad’s legacy?
Proud, not burdened. He says similarities (gregariousness, physicality, vulnerability) are a strength. He doesn’t try to differentiate — he honors it. But he also knows he has to make his own mark, which is why he’s taking risky roles now.
5. What’s with the Knicks obsession?
He grew up going to games with his dad — it was "a big part of our relationship." The 2026 championship was the first in 23 years (his whole life). Missing the celebration because he was working in London/Vancouver hit hard because the only person he wanted to celebrate with was his dad. That’s the heart of it.
This article is based on Cooper Hoffman’s cover story in The Hollywood Reporter (August 5, 2026 issue), written by [author name]. Photos by Myles Hendrik.
