Dominic Cooper has an interesting way of unwinding: ‘I sit in hotel lobbies late at night and play the piano – and I like to clean’

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Jennifer Ruby26 September 2018
The Weekender

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Dominic Cooper says he likes to do a spot of cleaning as a way of unwinding after a stressful day on set.

The British actor told The Jackal magazine: “I sit in hotel lobbies late at night and play the piano — and see if I can get away with it. I also love to clean.”

Cooper, 40, who revisited his role as Sky in the Abba film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again this year, joked: “I’ve just bought a new Dyson, I love his hoovers. I want to visit the factory.”

The film was a box office hit, but the actor wants to do more improvised work. He recently appeared on the big screen in Dominic Savage’s hard-hitting drama The Escape opposite Gemma Arterton and on the small screen in the critically-acclaimed series Preacher.

Dominic Cooper in The Jackal
Charlie Gray/The Jackal

He said: “I’d like to work on more projects like Preacher or The Escape. I’m hoping to work with Dominic Savage again this year — we’re trying to put together another project.

“I really enjoyed improvising in The Escape. It gives me more freedom than when I work with a script. I’d like my next project to be like these; parts I can immerse myself in, and come to understand.”

Read the full interview in The Jackal
Charlie Gray/The Jackal

Cooper, who is dating actress Gemma Chan, rose to fame in the 2006 film adaptation of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys.

Talking about his role in The Escape, he said: “Domestic depression and marital difficulties aren’t talked about enough. We didn’t understand what we were exploring at first — that’s part of Savage’s genius.

"He watched each take, and used them to adapt what happened next, to change each character’s storyline.”

Cooper added: “I was born in south London, I recognise families like the one we portray.”

Read the full interview in the latest issue of The Jackal, out today.

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