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Jackie Cooper Biography

Birth Name:
John Cooper, Jr.
Birth Place:
Los Angeles, California, United States
Profession
Actor, director, producer

Fast Facts

  • Was abandoned by his father at age 2
  • His mother relied on the young boy's acting salary to provide for the family
  • At age 9, became the first child actor ever to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Skippy (1931)
  • Managed to have a second career as a director and producer after serving with the Navy during World War II
  • Played the crusty newspaper editor Perry White in all four of the Superman films with Christopher Reeve
  • Released his autobiography, Please Don't Shoot My Dog, in 1981
  • The title was inspired by a threat from the Skippy director, who happened to be his uncle, that he would shoot the boy's dog if he couldn't cry during his scenes in the film

Awards

  • 1962Emmy-Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series: nominated
  • 1961Emmy-Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead): nominated
  • 1931Oscar-Best Actor: nominated

Relationships