All About Philip Seymour Hoffman's Son, Actor Cooper Hoffman

Mar. 15, 2025

Philip Seymour Hoffman attends the “God’s Pocket” premiere during the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2014. ; Cooper Hoffman attends the AFI Awards on March 11, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo:Michael Loccisano/Getty ; Michael Kovac/Getty

Michael Loccisano/Getty ; Michael Kovac/Getty

Cooper Hoffmanis following in the footsteps of his late father,Philip Seymour Hoffman.

“I don’t think I ever really considered it a possibility,” the young actor told theAssociated Pressin 2022. “I was always kind of scared to enter that arena because my dad did it so well.”

In 2014, when Cooper was 10 years old, Philip died — years later, Cooper reflected on connecting with his dad’s memory through acting. In 2021, he started his Hollywood career inPaul Thomas Anderson’sLicorice Pizzaand told AP about his father’s effect on his work.

“In a weird way, it felt almost like I was stepping into my dad’s shoes,” Cooper said of being on set. “It really was this feeling of: Maybe this is what he felt like. It was this weird out-of-body experience. I felt incredibly close to my dad through the whole shooting process.”

Here’s everything to know about Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son, Cooper Hoffman.

He made his acting debut inLicorice Pizza

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper Hoffman in ‘Licorice Pizza’.GM / Courtesy Everett Collection

Although Cooper had no acting experience at the time, Anderson cast him in the 2021 dramedyLicorice Pizza. In a 2022 interview withWmagazine, Cooper recalled how he got the part.

“I first heard aboutLicorice Pizzawhen Paul called me and told me to read a script. I thought it was weird, but I read it anyway and loved every second of it,” he said. “I read with him, and I fell in love with Paul even more, and I fell in love with the script and acting.”

Cooper landed the starring role, acting alongside major Hollywood veterans likeSean Penn,Bradley CooperandTom Waits. The movie became one of the most celebrated of the year and received three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

He was scared to start acting

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper Hoffman at the AFI Awards Luncheon on March 11, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California.Momodu Mansaray/FilmMagic

Momodu Mansaray/FilmMagic

Licorice Pizzawas Cooper’s first role, and he was understandably intimidated at the start.

“I don’t think I ever felt more nervous in my entire life,” Cooper told AP. “The first take I was shaking. Paul didn’t use it, obviously, because I was stuttering my words.”

Anderson said he hadn’t intended to cast Cooper in the role but ended up choosing him over other more experienced young actors because he liked Cooper’s energy and presence.

“There were a few I met that were talented,” Anderson toldVarietyin 2021. “But most of them already seemed at a young age to be overly trained, overly mannered and overly ambitious, which was not interesting to me.”

He received a Golden Globe nomination

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper Hoffman at the National Board of Review annual awards gala on March 15, 2022 in New York City.Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Despite his original nerves, Cooper’s performance inLicorice Pizzawas well received.

Cooper went on to receive the National Board of Review’s breakthrough performance of the year award in 2021 along with two other nominations: best young performer at the Critics’ Choice Awards and best actor in a motion picture musical or comedy at the Golden Globes.

He has two sisters

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper Hoffman at the Thom Browne Fall 2022 runway show on April 29, 2022 in New York City.Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

In a 2017 essay forVogue, Cooper’s mother, Mimi, reflected on his March 20, 2003, birth.

In 2006, Cooper’s younger sister Tallulah was born, and his sister Willa followed in 2008. Both of his sisters had small cameos inLicorice Pizza, turning the movie into a family affair.

His dad also worked with Paul Thomas Anderson

Maya Rudolph, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Cooper Hoffman and Adam Somner at the 94th Annual Academy Awards on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.Mike Coppola/Getty

Mike Coppola/Getty

Cooper’s role inLicorice Pizzawasn’t the first time the Hoffman family worked with the acclaimed director. Philip starred in many of Anderson’s films, includingHard Eight(1996),Boogie Nights(1997),Magnolia(1999),Punch-Drunk Love(2002) andThe Master(2012).

Anderson’s films — especially the ones starring Philip — had a big impact on Cooper growing up.

“Boogie Nightsdefinitely made an impression on me. I love all of Paul’s films,” he toldWmagazine. “But the film of Paul’s that I adore so much is probably eitherThe Master, which I know I’m biased about, orPunch-Drunk Love.”

Anderson toldVarietythat these professional experiences helped grow a deep bond between his family and Philip’s. The director shared that his son, Jack, had a history of making home movies with Cooper.

He feels connected to his dad through acting

Philip Seymour Hoffman and his son Cooper Hoffman at the Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on November 25, 2012 in New York City.James Devaney/WireImage

James Devaney/WireImage

As the son of an award-winning and beloved actor, many fans compared Cooper’s debut acting role to Philip’s work. A review inParadenoted that viewers could “see the DNA of his father” in Cooper’sLicorice Pizzaperformance.

Beyond their similarities, working with Anderson helped Cooper foster a connection to his late father since Philip and Anderson were longtime collaborators.

His mom is also prominent in Hollywood

Philip Seymour Hoffman and his partner Mimi O’Donnell.J. Vespa/WireImage

J. Vespa/WireImage

Cooper’s mom Mimi has also had a long career in entertainment. She met Philip in 1999 when he was interviewing her to design costumes for a play he was directing; shortly after, she started working atSaturday Night Live.

Among her other credits are the filmJack Goes Boating(2010), which starred Philip, and the Patrick Wilson-led seriesA Gifted Man.

Mimi has since gone into producing, and in 2022, she became the head of scripted fiction at Spotify. She’s produced audio dramas likeThe Two Princes, which she also directed, andRed Frontier.

In 2023, Mimi returned to visual storytelling and executive producedThe Horror of Dolores Roach, the Amazon Prime Video horror series based on the podcast series of the same name.

He is set to star in more films

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper Hoffman at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 27, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California.Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

In January 2024, Cooper was cast alongsideRachel Sennottand Gabriel LaBelle in the comedy biopicSaturday Nightabout the origins of the late-night show. In the movie, which was released on Oct. 11, 2024, Cooper playsSNLproducer Dick Ebersol.

Varietyrevealed Cooper was cast in thrillerI Want Your Sexin August 2024, where he’ll play oppositeOlivia Wilde.

source: people.com