From The History Boys to Preacher and Mamma Mia! Dominic Cooper is now a Western sheriff dealing with That Dirty Black Bag. I got to chat to him about riding horses, playing dad to Ironman, the future of Bond and working with ABBA!
Sherriff McCoy is one hell of a role. How did you prepare for the role?
Dominic Cooper: We were fortunate, because the COVID lockdown gave us a few weeks to prepare before filming. Myself, Douglas Booth, who plays Red Bill and my deputies Christian Cooke and Ivan Shaw, would all sit together and have in-depth rehearsals. I thought to myself ‘Why am I playing a sheriff in this spaghetti western? I’m not American and I don’t know that world’. I wasn’t well versed in it, but I think it’s good to challenge yourself to do those things that you think you shouldn’t. So I had time to make the guy interesting, and not just play another heroic town sheriff.
He’s quite a deep and troubled character
Yes, he has a very dark past, a history he hates and a future he’s scared of. But I wanted him to be likable, even though he did things that were detestable. It’s quite a hard combination to achieve, and I did it through his physicality, voice, and energy. I was also confronted with things in the script that the character couldn’t handle or take. Combining all those things created something quite vivid to watch – I hope! But then again, you never know, because you can always fall flat on your face! You kind of have to leave it to fate.
Dominic Cooper as Arthur McCoy in That Dirty Black Bag Photo: Stefano C. Montesi
The show is obviously a homage to the Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns. Did you watch them for reference?
A part of us stayed in every night drinking vats of wine, while watching all those references, because our directors and creators liked them, and I admire the look they gave it. I also wanted to understand what they were trying to achieve and to bring in my own mind to say what we needed to achieve. It’s all very well to say let’s make it Sergio Leone, and it is at its heart, but fundamentally we were making something different. Sure, we can have the essence and understand the style, but we didn’t want to rehash something. We wanted to keep an open mind to how we could recreate it for today.
There’s something appealing, even sexy about the wild west on screen. What do you think that is?
Growing up as a kid I didn’t really appreciate that, but I do now. I suppose it’s something to do with the pace and stillness. There’s a kind of rawness, roughness, and sense of immediacy. None of those things appealed to me though. Riding a dirty old stinking horse? As a kid I wanted to be in an office and to drive a Ferrari (laughing). But looking at it now when I get into costume and get onto the horse … I get it! But being a macho character in that dusty, arid nightmare of a world is nonsense. It’s the world of film that makes it sexy!
“I’ll think, ‘Oh my god, I was on a beach singing ABBA songs!”
In your career thus far, you’ve played a priest, policeman, vampire, cowboy, king, conqueror, and comic book characters to name a few. Has there been a favourite?
Mamma Mia! of course! (Laughing) But it’s hard to say which is a favourite. As time passes, I do reflect and think ‘My god I was lucky!’. I think ‘Wow, I played Ironman’s dad in a Marvel film!’ but I didn’t really appreciate it at the time. Then I’ll think, ‘Oh my god, I was on a beach singing ABBA songs!’ I do realise how wonderful they were, and I should have appreciated them much more. I also look at parts that I’m proud of, which not many people have seen. Sometimes I also think I did good work and look at it again and think it’s crap! (Laughing). There were parts of Preacher that I loved and the film The Devil’s Double. I adored that because it was extraordinarily different from anything I’d done. Having just done Mamma Mia! here I was playing Saddam Hussein’s son and body double.
You obviously really enjoy and appreciate your profession
I’ve done work where I was enjoying myself and feeling free, and even though it was terribly difficult to make, I felt proud about my decisions and being bold with those decisions. That’s all to do with confidence, but also with age and experience. I remember playing a vampire and looking down my nose at it a bit, but now actually thinking it was really good. So, it’s everchanging and a reminder to myself that for any of us working in this profession, being paid, and doing the thing we love, we are extraordinarily fortunate.
Dominic Cooper as Arthur McCoy – That Dirty Black Bag Photo: Stefano C. Montesi
What was it like working with Cher and Meryl Streep?
Amazing! But again, it’s like I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was kind of taking things with a grain of salt and joking around with Meryl and Cher and being a bit cocky. Although maybe it was a good way to behave because it made us all feel comfortable and normal. But I do remember seeing Cher on the stage when the spotlight hit her and knew it was something special to witness and be part of. I had already been amongst all those guys on the first movie and they’re so lovely and would laugh and laugh, because they’re being paid to be on an island in Greece making fools of themselves. It was a happy world!
Is it true you recorded your songs in front of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus?
Yeah, and again I look back and think how terrifying! I can sing, but I was struggling a bit because their songs aren’t that easy to sing, especially the ones I had. I was in the booth doing One Of Us and I just wasn’t getting it. There was a camera filming behind the scenes and I became more and more nervous. Benny really understands music and recording, and vocalists. He said, ‘Get out, come around and stand with me at the piano’. He started playing and singing, and let me join in.
“In History Boys I played Stuart Dakin, who was testing out his sexuality.”
Have you played any gay roles?
In History Boys I played Stuart Dakin, who was testing out his sexuality. I’ve always found that interesting as I’ve never wanted to decide what my characters were. I think my characters themselves, have always had the ability to be unsure of who or what they are. Dakin certainly was, and it gave him such flavour. He was so brazen and casual with it all, and in the most wonderful ways. He was like ‘Yeah, I’ll try that and see where it goes’. To play someone so young like that, was wonderful because it was what everyone needed to be, try, or see. That was the theatre world I was in at that time, where everyone was everything and it was lovely to be a part of.
What music gets you onto the dancefloor?
It doesn’t take me much to get up there. I’m a big Eighties fan, and I love INXS and Duran Duran. I’ve just been to Thailand for two months and every night I’d go to the bar, and it would only take one song for me to be dancing, singing and doing my own show!
Dominic Cooper as Sky, Amanda Seyfried as Sophie and Cher as Ruby in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Do you think there’ll be a Mamma Mia! 3?
I think there might be, only because when I was working with Bjorn and Benny, they were talking about another album. They were already scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit with the songs in the second movie, and may have rehashed a few. But I was so pleased when I heard the new album (Voyage), which was like their original stuff. They always said if they understood the magic they had made with the previous number ones, they’d do it again. To hear them create something that’s gone back to that, well, I immediately phoned the producer and said ‘Um, number three please, and make sure I’m in it!’ Those movies were something really special and I’d love to again be a part. You also realise how much joy it’s brought people.
Maybe the third movie could be titled Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You?
That’s good. Very good!
“I remember seeing Cher when the spotlight hit her and knew it was something special to witness.”
You’ve been to Australia a couple of times, including to film Preacher. What did you think?
Yes, the place is amazing, but it’s the people! It’s funny because we speak the same language and in America they speak the same language, but I feel there’s a difference in culture. In Australia I feel like I’m with a bunch of mates. No matter where I am or who I’m talking to, I’m laughing within five minutes. We get each other’s humour and understand the phrases. We can take the piss out of each other and not take things too seriously.
On that note, have you ever had an onset wardrobe malfunction?
All the time! On Warcraft I played a king, and the costume was so huge that I couldn’t lift my leg because the boot was so big, and I couldn’t lift the sword either. There were also pins constantly stabbing me in the arse. I also remember on Preacher, putting on weight over the holidays and couldn’t fit into the skimpy outfit! (Laughing)
Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger
Do you wear jocks, fitted boxers or go commando?
Well, in England jocks are briefs, briefs are pants and pants are knickers! (Laughing) I’m a briefs man, but as age and gravity continues, I’ve become a girdle man!
In Fleming, you played the James Bond creator Ian Fleming very suavely. What would you say to becoming the next 007?
If the girdle works, yeah! (Laughing) Of course I would, but I believe Bond is going to be something very different next. I think they’re very clever with how the franchise changes so dramatically. I think it will become totally different, and instead of expecting a recast of James Bond, it will be more about expecting something new altogether.
Who has been your biggest influence in the acting profession?
Nicholas Hytner, who directed The History Boys. I did many plays with him when I first went to drama school. He was great with all the lessons I learned along the way, especially the foundations he communicated about acting performance. He’s done opera, ballet and theatre and has had the biggest impact on me.
That Dirty Black Bag streams on AMC+
Follow Dominic on Instagram @dominiccooper
Dominic Cooper as James Bond creator Ian Fleming
