Cooper Hoffman discovers that, like his dad, he’s an actor

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Hoffman had never wanted to act. In elementary school, he joined in the plays but only helped out backstage. But the very first time that Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, read in a casual, let’s-just-see, not-really-official audition for “Licorice Pizza” with writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson and his eventual co-star Alana Haim, something clicked. Hoffman’s first film performance was nominated for a Golden Globe and awarded best breakthrough performance by the National Board of Review. Hoffman has discovered that, like his dad, he’s an actor. In an interview, he says: “I hope people can differentiate us.”