Chuck Cooper (actor)

This article is about the African-American actor. For the late former pioneering African-American NBA basketball player, see Chuck Cooper (basketball).

Chuck Cooper (born November 8, 1954) is an American actor.

Cooper made his Broadway debut in 1983 in the musical Amen Corner, playing the role of "Brother Boxer". He was an understudy in the original Broadway casts of his next three shows: Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (he eventually took over the role of "Adam"), Passion and Getting Away with Murder. In 1997, his next show The Life opened on Broadway. Cooper won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his role of the pimp "Memphis".

Cooper has also appeared in Chicago as "Billy Flynn", Caroline, or Change as the dual role of "The Bus" and "The Dryer", and Finian's Rainbow as "Bill Rawkins", as well as benefit performances of Hair and A Wonderful Life. He performed also in the role of soloist at the US Premiere of the "Seven Scenes from Hamlet" by the Spanish composer Benet Casablancas at the Miller Theatre New York on February 25th, 2010 (Perspectives Ensemble, cond. Angel Gil-Ordóñez).

Cooper's daughter, Lilli, is also an actress. She recently made her Broadway debut in the musical Spring Awakening.

Deborah Brevoort, a playwright, married Cooper, on Saturday, May 30, 2009 in Carmel, N.Y., at the home of Alice and Dave Walsh, friends of the bride. Their initial meeting and eventual engagement were covered in a New York Times web-site video.