Cooper Koch may have gotten his start in the horror genre, but after the success of Monsters, the star is looking to branch out. In a recent interview, he shared three queer literary adaptations he’d like to get involved with next.
Early in his acting career, Koch showed a knack for scream king performances, starring in the 2022 queer indie horror films Swallowed and They/Them. His big breakout came with his role as Erik Menendez in the Ryan Murphy true crime drama series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
While the series has been controversial since its premiere, Koch’s performance has received acclaim, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Limited Series. One standout episode (“The Hurt Man”) that stunned critics has Koch detailing the sexual abuse his character has endured—all filmed within a single take.
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Despite his success in the horror genre, it’s no surprise that Koch is ready for a change. That said, his dream projects are not exactly lighter fare.
In a new interview with VMAN, Koch shared a list of literary adaptations he’d love to be a part of. “Giovanni’s Room, All Fours, and A Little Life,” he said. “Those are the top three. I don’t want it to sound like I’m conceited, like I can do whatever I want. It’s more like, I just want to do things that I feel have meaning and purpose that I’m passionate about.”
Giovanni’s Room is James Baldwin’s trailblazing gay novel. Published in 1956, it tells the story of a doomed attraction between an American expat and an Italian expat (the titular Giovanni) who meet in Paris. While a film version was attempted in the 70s, it never came to fruition.
All Fours, a 2024 novel by Miranda July, follows a woman who embarks on an extramarital affair between a married man and his former mistress.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is likely the most famous and most divisive novel on the docket. This 2015 book follows a group of four queer friends who are grappling with substance abuse and past sexual trauma. Last fall, Koch sparked rumors that he would be appearing in an adaptation when Yanagihara shared a photo of him holding her book. But it sounds like that adaptation is still a pipe dream—for now.
Elsewhere in the interview, Koch gave some insight into his attraction to complex characters. “I learned in school that acting actually comes from within yourself,” he said, adding, “You have to accept and understand who you are in order to play other people. You have to tap into your own sh*t in order to get into somebody else’s sh*t. That became very addicting.”
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