Australian actor Cooper van Grootel has long been regarded as a leader of his generation. A working child actor for the past decade, who has recently wrapped filming a lead role in See Pictures’ feature film Go Karts, there’s no doubt that this young lad is reminiscent of the Australian men who paved the way before him: think Hollywood hunks Chris and Liam Hemsworth, and Avatar star Sam Worthington.

What sets Cooper apart however is not just his machismo, but also his access to an old soul that is more reminiscent of Emmy-winner Ben Mendehlson, who didn’t hit it big until his late 40s. The difference with Cooper however, and what sets him apart from all of these actors, is that he’s still only a teenager, but he’s already made it.

The award-winning teen, who was honoured by Media Super for Outstanding Commitment and Achievement in the industry, has carved out a niche as a true-blue Aussie with roles in prestige mini-series Mystery Road, audience favourite Jasper Jones, and films like Red Dirt and Absent that both challenge and explore the Australian identity. One exciting project in particular is the feature film, Go Karts.  

For that film, Cooper was up against thousands of other actors, so it’s safe to say his hard work is paying off.

Go Karts hails from the same producers as Golden-Globe winner Simon Baker’s Breath, Netflix film OtherLife and Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce hit, Swinging Safari. In the film, Cooper was blessed with a starring role of Dean, the film’s antagonist. In the character, Cooper relished playing the bad guy – a force to be reckoned with on and off the race track.

“Many directors and producers have remarked on Cooper’s professionalism and high standard of work ethic,” says his agent, Hallie McKeig from Film Bites in Perth.

There’s nothing arrogant about this surfer though, as many are quick to attest to Cooper’s affable nature. “They’ve also said how easy Cooper is to get along with, and how down-to-earth he is,” Hallie elaborates.

Qualities like these are infrequently found in the industry. Cooper’s American manager Karli Doumanis, of KDM, substantiates this view.

“It is really rare to find young male actors like Cooper who have a high level of confidence, self-awareness and charisma – he’s also really highly accomplished because of the number of projects he’s worked on and who he’s worked with – the American industry has already fallen in love with him.”

One of Cooper’s earlier roles was in the film project, Red Dirt, in which he played the lead role of Benny.

Cooper smiles when recalling the filming process.

“Waking up very early and watching the sun rise over the vast landscape of outback Western Australia, that was a highlight.”

Red Dirt gave Cooper the opportunity to literally play the leader of the pack. As Benny, Cooper was the alpha male to a group of boys in a small town that an older man encounters after his car breaks down.

“Myself and the other boy actors searched for gold with metal detectors,” Cooper elaborates. “That was great fun.”

Cooper also showed his chops as an actor of true range in Absent, a film from celebrated director Iain Appleyard. In that compelling film, Cooper played a mental handicapped boy at the centre of the film’s drama about a father who abandons his daughter after he accidentally kills Cooper’s character. Cooper brought the role to life with conviction, receiving praise from industry professionals in the process for his deep commitment to performing the role authentically and with respect to people with disabilities.

“Working with Cooper and watching him bring his character to life was…a highlight…for me,” Iain told our publication. “He repeatedly impressed everyone with his professionalism in a difficult role showing dedication well beyond his years.”

He articulates further. “I am proud not only of the work that I have done, but also of the skills I have acquired.”

It’s this focus on his craft and skills that is clearly keeping the screen star grounded, even while he might be sharing the screen with Golden-Globe nominated actors and household names.

“Richard Roxburgh is a man with a great sense of humour and uses that skill and applies it to improvising bits here and there during scenes,” Cooper says when asks about his fellow famous co-stars. “That was cool to watch.”

Up next for this acclaimed actor – who, like any other teenage boy also loves Aussie rules football and skateboarding – is a second season of the Funny or Die hit, Unverified where he’ll resume his leading role of Jackson.

“I really just love jumping between roles – I’m really grateful that I’ve got my family and agents and a manager who have supported my journey.”

“The stories I have been able to tell are the reason I’m an actor. Being able to give audiences the insight into the lives of other people, the experiences those characters have, is the most rewarding part of the job.”

And so begins our in-depth phone interview with Alistair Cooke, an award winning Australian actor who has built a reputation for crafting characters that layer both deep intensity and a boyish innocence.   

When speaking with the young Australian, it’s apparent that he’s genuinely motivated by craft and possesses a rare capacity to simultaneously transform himself to serve a character and text, but also retain his unique, one-of-a-kind personality. An extrovert and an introvert, an artist and businessman, Alistair is full of contradictions in the way that only the most deep and provocative artists are.   

He elaborated on his chameleon like nature when we asked about it in our chat.

“My ability to take on any accent, mimic body language and have an understanding of human nature… allows me to transform into any character. The key is believing…once you’ve mastered the technicalities of people from voice, body and of course their mental state… you can’t fail.”

Perhaps best known for his award-winning performance in the acclaimed online series, “The Horizon,” Alistair is perceived as a star but has the reputation of a craftsman in the entertainment industry with an extensive repertoire of diverse challenging characters.

In that series, Alistair played the leading role of Jake, the series’ protagonist in this fish-out of water tale about an innocent small-town boy moving to the big city to embrace a progressive community.

“This character had the challenges that many people in the LGBTQI community face and being able to share this with an audience outside that community truly felt like an important part of the job.”

“The Horizon” had the benefit of not only enjoying audience numbers that exceed 63,000,000 but also claims the title of the most successful online series ever produced in Australia. Alistair has taken the success in his stride though, as the associated fame has not meant he has rested on his laurels.

“Sharing the experiences of ‘Jake’ in the series ‘The Horizon’ is something I am most proud of.  This character had challenges that many people in the LGBTQI community face and being able to share this with an audience outside that community truly felt like an important part of the job.”

The Perth-native also had the privilege of working with prolific and acclaimed writer Boaz Stark on “The Horizon”, himself known for producing the highest rating episode of Australian television ever for the award-winning series, “Always Greener” (Seven Network).

And the best distinction of Alistair’s role in the critical and audience favourite? Alistair was awarded “Most Outstanding Actor’ for his role in “The Horizon” from the Los Angeles Web Festival, described by Filmmaker Magazine as the “granddaddy of all webfests.”

“That was definitely the icing on the cake,” Alistair offered with a humble smile.  

When pressed for further details, Alistair was reticent but eventually forthcoming.

“It was a shock that’s for sure! I was overseas on a shoot when I received the news and didn’t believe it at first. The Los Angeles Web Festival is one of the best in the world and it was such an honour to even be nominated! But to win, was incredible! It’s a warming feeling to know that this character and my interpretation of the role was so well received, it means I did my job, and that’s’ all I could ask for.”

“The Horizon” was also bolstered by the prominent role played by Daniel Nemes, well known for his work on SyFy hit “The Magicians” and “Unusual Suspect.”

Alistair recalled sharing the screen with the former “Home and Away” star, Nemes.

“Daniel is an absolute star…he and I had actually worked together previously, on a film “Twice Shy”…He is so easy to work with, he is open and supportive to all cast and crew.”

While Alistair might sound like his expectations for his career are fairly simple, the body of work he has built says otherwise.

The young leading man has also been prominently featured in sci-fi flick “Crawlspace” co-starring “CSI: Miami” actor Amber Clayton and “The Originals” star Peta Sergeant and action feature “John Doe: Vigilante,” in which he shared the screen with award-winning “Battlestar Galactica” actor Jamie Bamber. Cooke has won the lead in many films including ‘Memories’ alongside Mia Challis as well as Richies Shift, where he plays ‘Richie’.

In addition, Cooke has carved out an impressive track record on stage, ensuring his craft has a solid foundation, having ‘treaded the boards’ (as insiders call it) for many years. Indeed, Alistair received critical acclaim for his leading stage performances in “Ladders by the Sea,” a role performed under the direction of Ron Hadeley.

“I ultimately need to be able to serve any character on a whim – it’s a hard job, but I love it.”