cover_Blazer PORTS 1961; Coat ACNE
Ryan Cooper easily alternates fashion photoshoot sets and movies’ red carpets. He is the new face of international cinema. With his great screen presence and his statuesque body- he was also a carpenter-, this guy from New Guinea has convinced all and, starting with the advertising campaigns of Armani Exchange, DKNY, Hugo Boss and Trussardi Jeans, he has moved to the big screen and soon we can see him acting with Scarlett Johansson in Crazy Night.
Tell us about your roots and family. How did this influence your life?
I grew up without a lot of things, living in 3rd world countries with people who don’t have a lot, but were very happy and generous. It makes you appreciate the things that you do have but do not need. I remember we used to often eat our breakfast that had bugs in it due to the humidity. My dad was a missionary and really instilled his beliefs in us. He was a super hard-working guy, and that’s one thing that has definitely helped coming into this business. Treating people right and working hard, we work a lot of long days so you need stamina. I have done 20 hour days doing construction work in the past so that’s prepared me for 12 hours onset.
How did you start your modeling career?
Modeling was a bit of luck. A friend asked me to do a shoot for an outdoors store in New Zealand when I was in construction. Then another friend wanted to set me up with an agency that when I met with them they said “you’ll never work!” However, my current modeling manager saw my photos and from there on championed me to travel and work which allowed for a fun few years traveling and shooting around the world.
When did you decide to start cinema and how did it happen?
In New York, I met my now manager, who asked if I was interested in acting and has had my back ever since. Honestly, I had not thought of it since doing school productions as a kid. My dad encouraged me to “get a real job”, so I did, in construction. And now that I was traveling/modeling, I had the opportunity to learn from some wonderful coaches in NY and LA, and now have been able to work which is wonderful.
What was your debut in fiction and cinema?
My first jobs were smaller parts in indie movies then a brief stint on the soap, “One Life to Live” before that long-lasting production breathed its last breath. I kind of feel a little responsible for that death (laughs)!
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