Cooper Koch is the man of the hour in Hollywood right now, and for good reason. The young American actor is climbing the ladder of success and leaving quite an impression on fans and critics, one stellar performance at a time.
Last seen doing a fine job as convicted murderer Erik Menendez in Netflix’s true crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024), there’s been a surge in the acting prospects and new projects coming to Koch.
His undeniable charm and good looks, coupled with his acting chops, could land him any leading role. Koch has himself expressed his desire to be cast for the role of Patrick Bateman in the upcoming American Psycho remake.
Showing interest in being a part of the Luca Guadagnino project, the heartthrob told The Hollywood Reporter, “Luca’s doing American Psycho, so I think I can do Patrick Bateman,” when asked what he was looking to do next. Koch even expressed that in the last few weeks after the success of Monsters, he’s been getting a lot of new acting prospects. “I haven’t played a serial killer yet so I think I could do it. Things are coming in, things are moving, things are happening, taking meetings, and the needle is threading so we’ll see, nothing is locked in or happening yet,” he said.
Well, with a string of impressive roles under his belt and a dedication to his craft, Koch is poised to join the ranks of Hollywood’s biggies. For those smitten by his talent, here’s delving into the highlights of his career, net worth, and a glimpse into his private life.
Cooper Koch’s early life and family background
Cooper Joseph Koch was born on 16 July 1996, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He attended Calabasas High School and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting from Pace School of Performing Arts in New York City. His father, Billy Koch, is a horse racing club founder, and his mother, Kathy Kaehler, is a celebrity personal trainer and author.
Interestingly, Koch comes from a film family. He is the grandson of film producer Hawk Koch, and his great-grandfather, W. Koch, was a film producer and director as well. He has a twin brother Payton who works as a film editor, and another brother Walker, who is a musician.
With soaring popularity and a distinguished family background, it’s surprising that Koch is not on Instagram and other social media platforms.
Movies and TV shows starring Cooper Koch
Cooper Koch, who is currently the poster boy for playing queer characters on-screen, started his acting career as a kid with a minor role in the 2007 crime thriller Fracture.
Later in 2010, he appeared in the music video for Hannah Montana’s “Ordinary Girl” by Miley Cyrus.
He then did a bunch of short films and in 2019, played the character of Julian in the TV movie Less Than Zero. The same year he played a Bellhop in a short film called Daddy.
In 2020, he took on the role of Azrael Gabison, a guardian angel, in A New York Christmas Wedding, where he helps a woman explore an alternate version of her life. Additionally, he appeared in two episodes of the crime drama series Power Book II: Ghost (2020).
However, Koch’s breakthrough role came in 2022 when he starred in Carter Smith’s body horror film Swallowed, where he played Benjamin, an aspiring gay porn actor who finds himself in a dangerous situation involving drug smuggling. That same year, he was also featured in the slasher film They/Them, portraying Stu, a closeted gay athlete at an LGBTQ conversion therapy camp. He starred opposite Kevin Bacon in the Blumhouse horror movie.
His recent portrayal of Erik Menendez in the hit Ryan Murphy Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024) earned him critical acclaim and wide recognition, especially his sincere and moving performance in the episode titled ‘The Hurt Man’.
In a heart-wrenching and emotionally charged scene, Erik recounts his traumatic childhood experiences to his lawyer, Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor). Over the course of a single, 33-minute take, the camera zooms in on Erik’s face, capturing every painful detail as he shares the horrific mental, physical, and sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents. Koch’s sincere and moving performance brings depth and nuance to the character, conveying the emotional scars and vulnerabilities that define Erik’s psyche. The episode was hailed as a landmark moment in TV history, with everyone raving about Koch’s performance, especially since he did only one rehearsal for the monologue and the whole episode was shot over two days with a total of 10 takes.
Aside from acting, Koch has also modelled for fashion brands like GAP, Skechers and Patagonia.
Also read: 9 shows and documentaries about the Menendez brothers for true-crime enthusiasts
Cooper Koch’s net worth
According to some reports, Cooper Koch is allegedly worth anywhere between USD 150,000 and USD 5 million. Given his rising career and notable roles in films and series, we would wager his net worth is closer to the higher limit of that range.
In fact, Koch who is currently represented by Strand Entertainment, Maury DiMauro, Hansen Jacobson TE and The Lede Company has signed a deal with United Talent Agency (UTA). This means he is already rearing to make bigger pay cheques.
Meet Cooper Koch’s partner
Cooper Koch with his boyfriend Stuart McClave and Kim Kardashian at the 2024 LACMA Art+Film Gala. pic.twitter.com/XytWXMPhDm
— best of cooper koch (@bestofkoch) November 4, 2024
Cooper Koch is openly gay and is currently in a relationship with documentary filmmaker Stuart McClave. The two share a nine-year age gap and made their first public appearance together at the 2024 LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles, where they also met up with mega-celebrity Kim Kardashian.
McClave has directed On The Line: The Richard Williams Story, a movie about the life of Serena and Venus Williams’ father.
(Hero and featured image credits: IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooper Koch has appeared in a number of TV shows including, ‘Power Book II: Ghost’, ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ and the TV movies ‘A New York Christmas Wedding’ and ‘Less Than Zero.’
Cooper Koch’s performance as Erik Menendez in Netflix's ‘Monsters’ is dubbed his best role by many critics and fans alike.
Cooper Koch's net worth is not publicly disclosed. However, some reports suggest that his net worth is between USD 1.5 and USD 5 million.
Cooper Koch’s boyfriend is documentary filmmaker Stuart McClave.
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Kratagya Rathore could possibly be your passport into the world of style, grooming, skincare, and mindful living. Fashion is as imperative to him as his daily 10,000 steps count. He is a raconteur, almost living his life in a musical; A social firefly who is also fluent in silence. A journalism grad, Kratagya has previously worked for Times Internet and The Times of India.
