Cooper Officially Confirmed for PHEDRE, Set For June 2009 Start

Actor Dominic Cooper has been cast in the role of Hippolytus in the National Theatre's upcoming revival of Phèdre. Co-starring Helen Mirren in the title role and directed by Nicholas Hytner, Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Jean Racine's 1677 classic tragedy is based on a Greek myth about a queen who falls passionately in love with her stepson in her husband's absence.

Phèdre is currently scheduled to begin performances at the National's Lyttleton Theatre in June 2009 (exact dates TBD), in a production sponsored by Coutts & Co. Also previously confirmed for the cast is Margaret Tyzack, who will star as Oenone, the nurse and confidante of Mirren's character.

The upcoming production of Phèdre marks the fourth collaboration between Cooper and Hytner, following their previous work together in the National Theatre productions of Mother Clap's Molly House, His Dark Materials, and The History Boys.

Ticketing for Phèdre is not yet open. For more information, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.

Dominic Cooper is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting talents in the industry. He is best known for his lauded performance as Dakin in the critically-acclaimed play, The History Boys, which garnered him both Drama Desk and Evening Standard Award nominations. After reprising the role in the highly-praised film adaptation of The History Boys, Dominic was nominated for the "Best Newcomer Award" by the British Independent Film Awards, "Best Supporting Actor" by the London Film Critics Circle and was named one of Rolling Stone Magazine's "Breakout Performances" for 2006.

Upon completion of his professional training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Dominic landed a role in Mother Clap's Molly House at the prestigious National Theatre under resident director Nicholas Hytner. Subsequently, he starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's A Midsummer Night's Dream, before rejoining Hytner at the National Theatre for His Dark Materials and The History Boys. Winner of three Olivier Awards including Best New Play, The History Boys tells the story of a group of British students and their professors as they prepare for life and the pursuit of higher learning. Written by Alan Bennett, The History Boys was made into a Fox Searchlight film and the stage production toured Japan, Australia, and New Zealand before landing on Broadway in 2006, where it was the recipient of six Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Dominic can currently be seen on screen in The Duchess, a film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the scandalous 18th-century English aristocrat, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Directed by Saul Dibb, the period drama co-stars Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. The Paramount Vantage production was released on September 19, 2008, following its Gala Presentation screening at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

Two of Cooper's upcoming film projects were recently announced as entries in the 2009 Sundance Film Festival - An Education and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. An Education, co-starring Carey Mulligan, Emma Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Alfred Molina, directed by Lone Scherfig, and written by famed author Nick Hornby, follows a 16 year-old girl's coming of age in 1960's London as she begins a relationship with a 30 year-old playboy. Furthermore, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, a screen adaptation of the best-selling David Foster Wallace short stories, is directed and adapted by John Krasinski, and co-stars Krasinski, JuliAnne Nicholson, and Timothy Hutton.

Dominic was also recently seen in Universal's Mamma Mia!, the feature film adaptation of the beloved musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people in 160 cities and 8 languages around the world. The Phyllida Lloyd-directed production features the timeless lyrics and melodies of the iconic super group ABBA, along with an all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, and Amanda Seyfried. The film recently became the highest grossing British production in UK cinema history, en route to grossing over $550 million worldwide.

Earlier this year, Dominic starred in two acclaimed productions for the BBC. First, he appeared as the dashing and handsome Willoughby in the two-part television mini-series, Sense & Sensibility. Based on the beloved Jane Austen novel of the same name, directed by John Alexander and adapted by Andrew Davies, the mini-series aired as part of PBS' acclaimed "Masterpiece Theatre" series.

Secondly, Cooper co-starred opposite Sir Anthony Sher, Rupert Graves, and Stephen Dillane in God on Trial, a BBC-2 production which aired as part of PBS' "Contemporary Masterpieces" series. The 90-minute television film tells the story of a group of Jews in the Auschwitz concentration camp who question their faith and put God on trial for breaking his covenant to care and protect them.

Dominic's other feature film credits include roles in the recent Rupert Wyatt-directed prison escape thriller, The Escapist (2008 Sundance Film Festival), the Tom Hanks-produced Starter for Ten (2006 Toronto Film Festival), Boudica, I'll Be There, Neil Jordan's The Good Thief, and the Hughes Brothers' From Hell.

Cooper's additional television credits include a series regular role on BBC's "Down to Earth," "Sparkling Cyanide," BBC's "The Gentleman Thief," Hallmark's "Davison's Eyes," and Steven Spielberg's acclaimed "Band of Brothers."

Dominic currently resides in London

Photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

 

 

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