He began his career by appearing in an episode of the sitcom Sex and the City (1999) and as the host of the tourism show Globe Trekker the following year.
[4] During this period, Cooper also continued starring in television shows, such as the 2005 sitcom Kitchen Confidential, and played a dual role in a 2006 onstage production of Three Days of Rain.
[5] His breakthrough came with the role of a reckless teacher in Todd Phillips' comedy The Hangover (2009),[6] which became one of the highest grossing R-rated films of all time.
[9] Cooper's profile continued to expand as he took on major roles in several successful films—American Hustle (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy, and American Sniper (both in 2014).
[9][a] Cooper returned to stage work for a 2014 Broadway production of The Elephant Man, where he played the severely deformed Joseph Merrick.