By Elena Coe McNamara
Features Editor
Acting his way through life, Mira Costa sophomore Cooper Roth pursues his passion for the film industry, working his way in the best he can.
Roth has been acting since the age of 12 and a half, when he first became involved in the show business. Since, Roth has acted in movies Cooties, Super Buddies, Neckpee Island and is currently filming an ABC show, The Middle.
“Acting has made me realize how lucky I am to have people around me that care about my career,” Roth said. “It’s also made me see people’s emotions in a different light.”
Roth first began acting due to inspiration from his father, JD Roth, who was an actor when younger. Roth says that his father used to tell him stories about his days acting in New York City, which is what made him decide he wanted to live a similar lifestyle. Roth has since been with three different agencies , Maverick Agency, Paradine and currently is with Buckwald.
“My dad would tell me I’m not cut out for the business, or that I don’t want to live that life that he did,” Roth said. “But I persisted and said that ‘no, I really did,’ and eventually I just started.”
Roth has played the antagonist in Cooties, Super Buddies and Neckpee Island, which he says is his favorite role to play. Roth says that this is his favorite role due to the fact that it is opposite of his self-proclaimed, upbeat and energetic personality.
“I always go for the antagonist role whenever I can because I think it is so much fun,” Roth said. “I think that sometimes you know your enemy and your opposite better than you know yourself.”
Roth said his biggest inspiration acting inspirations are either Robert Downey Jr. or Heath Ledger. In addition to this, Roth says he finds inspiration within himself to continue acting and practicing every day to pursue his passion.
“Ledger’s performance in the Dark Night was one of the greatest of all time,” Roth said. “Downey Jr. has really good intention in every one of his scenes.”
Roth said that balancing school and acting used to be a struggle, but his teachers have accommodated to him missing class often due to filming or auditions. Roth says once he began to show his interesting in being a scholar-actor his teachers began to accept that he would need to miss school on occasion in order to participate in certain activities.
“I used to think ‘Oh, I can’t practice my script tonight because I have homework,’” Roth said. “But then I realized that if this is something I really want to do, then one little homework assignment shouldn’t be able to stop me. If I have to be up until two AM in order to do both, then that’s what is going to happen that night.”
Roth’s future plans for the acting industry include expanding himself into different aspects of the business. Roth would like to eventually become a filmmaker, director, and cinematographer, he says, all while continuing acting. He hopes to attend University of Southern California or New York University in their filmmaking program.
“I hope to be able to act as long as I live because I love it so much,” Roth said. “I don’t do it for the money, I don’t do it for any of that. I do it because it’s my passion and I hope to act until I’m dead, really.”
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