After scorching the screen in the film adaptation of The History Boys, Dominic Cooper could have parlayed his heat and good looks into generic leading man status. Instead, the 31-year-old actor has taken supporting roles in a series of interesting films (well, a series of interesting films and Mamma Mia!). Cooper's currently got two movies in theaters: Lone Scherfig's An Education, where he plays Peter Sarsgaard's wealthy best friend, and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, where director John Krasinski hands Cooper the script's juiciest monologue and lets him run with away with the entire movie.
A few weeks ago, I sat down with the London native to discuss both movies, though talk soon turned to the possibility of a Mamma Mia! sequel and a huge, hush-hush blockbuster he's currently auditioning for. Which one? Read on and see.
In An Education, Carey Mulligan's character Jenny still finds herself dazzled by this upper-class lifestyle she's always dreamed of having. As an actor who no doubt aspired to make it in Hollywood, did you find yourself dazzled by the trappings of success, initially?
It's exactly the same! I always had that reference, that's why I completely understand that side of her, that she's seduced. You go and do a press junket for a film and you stay in these lavish, wonderful hotels, or you're on these islands in the middle of nowhere and you're treated like royalty, and you begin to think, "Oh, this is how my life is. This is me now." But it's not -- it's just a little chunk of time, and I think it's quite dangerous. Why wouldn't you be excited, though? It's exciting, jetting off and staying somewhere different and being treated nicely and experiencing these things. Especially if you're Jenny's age and you come from where she comes from and you want something different for yourself...I really understand that and feel that for her.
Of course, Jenny's family just wants her to knuckle down and have an education and something she can fall back on. Did your own family pressure you in that way when you decided you wanted to become an actor?
I pressured myself, I suppose. I was always aware -- and I still am -- that this career is so fickle. Everything could go well and then suddenly not go well, so it's important to stabilize yourself with the people you surround yourself with. I always wanted to make sure I had something I could possibly fall back on for the first few years [of acting], in case it wasn't looking good. I used to do assistant film editing for commercials, something that was much more stable and reliable, a kind of trade I knew I could always fell back on.
You still never know! That's probably why [acting] is so exciting and why I was so drawn to it: There's that element of risk and change and the sense that your life can take a totally different turn when you're least expecting it. I think it plays on the minds of most actors, that you don't know where the next job is coming from and you don't know what it's going to be. It could all just stop.
Do you feel like your character Danny carries a secret torch for Jenny, or is that just a red herring?
It seems as though he does, right? He's finally discovered someone in his circle of friends who's actually as interested and excited and entertained by the things that inspire him as he is. I think he's probably the one character who's actually from that educated, affluent world that the other characters aspire to be a part of. He's probably seen his friend [seduce young women] many times, and for some reason this time, my character does decide to step in, and I think it's because he does have feelings for her. They probably are quite attracted to each other, in a funny kind of way. They're probably more suited for each other. I'll talk to Lone about doing a number-two and they can go off together into the night. [Laughs]
Jenny is very much under the spell of David, Peter Sarsgaard's character. Do you think Danny is as well? What keeps the two of them bonded to each other as friends?
I think they're kind of charmed by each other, really. I think David wants to be like Danny, wants his life to be like his. But he'll never be that person.
Why not?
Because I think he comes from a different place. He's striving to be that, to have the apartment and all that, but he ultimately lives a very suburban life. Mine's freer and more carefree, I live in this beautiful apartment overlooking Hyde Park, I surround myself with things I enjoy and understand. I just go along with him for the sheer thrill of it.
You're also in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, where you play a very dark character who appears to be advocating for rape as a transformational experience. I know John Krasinski had actors in mind for each role...how did he come to you?
Yeah, I think three years ago I was doing The History Boys on Broadway and he came to see it and spoke to me about the project. He spoke so passionately about it, and he'd done it at school and I was just drawn to the idea of doing dialogue and material of that nature. Although I must say that I sat there thinking, "This will never be made. I don't know how you can turn this into a film." Even while filming, I was like, "How is this ever gonna cut together?" I think he did a fantastic job of it. The interviews are quite compelling, and it was a really fantastic experience. It's had a very mixed response, I think. I don't think people really know what it is.
Again, though, a huge gift to be able to say David Foster Wallace's words. I knew very little about him, I think he's much more popular here than he is in the UK. My character was a horrible guy, although very disturbed and damaged. It's always good when you get roles like that -- like my character in An Education, he comes from a certain class and era that's nothing like mine. It's good to do things that challenge what you find easy.
It's funny, because when I talked to Peter Sarsgaard, he felt the exact opposite...that the characters that were the most different from him were the most difficult to wrap his head around as an actor.
I know what he means -- an accent, for example, is very difficult because you don't want anything to prohibit you or get in the way of the truth you're trying to get across. I think anything that challenges you is good because you might not hit the mark, but at least you've given it a go. That was very difficult for Peter, though, as it was a very different class and style from him, and he had to play an Englishman. I thought he did it brilliantly.
OK, future projects speed round. I keep hearing things about Mamma Mia 2...
I don't! I wish I did! Why don't they call me? [Laughs] Why is that? Where's number-two, and why haven't I been approached for this? I don't know whether they will do that, but I don't see why they wouldn't. It'd be ludicrous not to, wouldn't it? There's such strong-willed women that control the production -- the director and the writer -- so it's ultimately up to them whether there's a story that can be told.
You also have Tamara Drewe coming out. From what I know about it, it sounds like it's got some aspects in common with An Education.
It does, actually! I hadn't really related them at all. It's about a girl dealing with some pretty disastrous men in her life and coming out the other end.
And how disastrous are you?
I'm pretty disastrous! I play this hideous, awful drummer in a band who's so full of himself that it's just disgusting. He can't imagine why no one's heard of his band and why they aren't the most famous thing in the world, and he wears a lot of eyeliner.
Finally, have you been approached to play a role in Thor?
Ummm...yeah. Kind of.
But nothing's finalized?
No, absolutely not. Do you know much about Thor?
I know some.
Tell me: Is there a good part for me?
I know of a few that still need filling.
Which one would you see me as?
Fandral, maybe?
[Looking down at the script sides near him] You know! You're looking at these very confidential pages!
I can read upside down, Dominic.
It says "confidential," Kyle! [Laughs]