James Barrett Cooper was born on April 24, 1962, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Irma Lucille (Huber). He is the fourth of five children.
As a child, Cooper frequently attended the movies with his older sister Connie and watched his older brother Bob perform in college plays. He caught the acting bug in the sixth grade production of Mrs. Fischer's A Christmas Carol, where he played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Cooper began training with Walden Theatre, under Nancy Niles Sexton, where he developed his love for Shakespeare. He appeared in seven full Shakespearean productions and two shortened versions, and even directed one production of Macbeth.
He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Acting in 1984. After moving to New York City in 1985, Cooper attended the MFA/PAT program at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, Alabama. He later returned to New York City and taught at Walden Theatre, directing over 50 plays and designing sets for all productions.
In 2004, Cooper became the Curator of Interpretations at the Frazier History Museum, where he oversaw historically accurate combat, including sword fighting and other historical martial arts.
Cooper has also worked as the Founding Producing Artistic Director of Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company, and has directed over 25 productions of Shakespeare's works. He has also appeared in numerous television shows and films, including Chicago Fire, Bob Hope Goes to College, and The Way I Heard It.
As a dialect coach, Cooper has worked with actors such as Fionn Whitehead and Rainn Wilson, and has also done voice-over work for various museums and exhibitions.
Cooper has been married twice, first to his first wife, with whom he had a divorce, and then to artist Kaylyn Taylor, with whom he has two children, Imogen and Atticus.
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