Pat Cooper: Bio, Wife, Kids, Life, And Death

Pat Cooper was an American comedian and actor that amassed success in a career that lasted more than fifty years. He made appearances on shows like the Howard Stern Show and Opie and Anthony. Aside from this, he is known for jokes about his Italian heritage and his sudden outburst which earned him the nickname, The Comedian of Outrage. Also, Cooper launched an acting career and appeared in movies like Analyze This alongside actors like Robert De Niro.

Away from his career, the father of three children from two previous marriages was married to Emily Conner at the time of his death on June 6, 2023.

Who is Pat Cooper?

The American actor and comedian was born Pasquale Caputo on July 31, 1929, in New York to his parents, Michael Caputo and Louise Gargiulo. He is of Italian heritage on his father’s side and in later life, it influenced his comedy routines.

Cooper’s father was born in Italy but later worked as a bricklayer when he moved to the United. His mother on the other hand is a New York native like Cooper. During his childhood, he is said to have run away from home 14 times as a result of being unhappy. He started following in his father’s footsteps in bricklaying yet, this lasted for only a short while till he found his calling as a comedian.

His Career Lasted for Over 5 Decades

He began his career in 1953 and over the course of many years, he became a successful entertainer. When he started, Cooper’s initial target audience was the Italian-American community due to his ancestry. His storylines often touch on issues relating to Italians. He had a big break on The Jackie Gleason Show in 1963. Following this, he started making appearances at radio shows, celebrity roasts, and popular nightclubs, including The Friar’s Club.

Considering the performances of the Italian Comedian, it was not hard to get a spot on shows like The Howard Stern Show, and Imus in the Morning. However, he had an anger streak that often led to outbursts while performing and this earned him the nickname, Comedian of Outrage. Also, the outrage led him to work out of many productions and guests leading to his firing in some instances. At one point, he refused to remove a line from his routine when he presented with Frank Sinatra. Shortly after, the latter fired him.

Moving on, Cooper’s comedy gigs led to the release of two known albums, Our Hero(1965) and Spaghetti and Other Delights(1966), and a DVD, You’re Always Yelling(2005). In 2011, he released his memoir titled How Dare You Say How Dare Me! Shortly after he, retired in 2012.

He ventured into Acting in the 80s

Aside from comedy, Cooper also enjoyed success as an actor. This line of work came after he had established himself as a comedy icon. Among his earliest roles is that of Agency Chief in the 1981 movie, Uncle Sam. Since then, he took many roles over the years with his last role being in the 2003 movie This Thing of Ours. He has appeared in;

• Analyze That– as Salvatore Masiello(2002)
• Ankle Bracelet– as Milt Epstein(2001)
• The Boys Behind the Desk
• Analyze This-as Salvatore Masiello(2000)
• Code of Ethics-Mr. DeAngelo(1998)
• Silent Pew-as Bartender(1997)
• Fighting Back-as Harry Janelli(1982)

Pat Cooper was Married Thrice in His Lifetime

Cooper was married to three women between 1952 and 2018. His first marriage was to Dolores DePaci. They tied the knot in 1952, about the time he started out in the entertainment industry. However, the marriage ended in divorce.

His next marriage was to the singer Patti Prince whom he married in 1964. The details about this marriage are sketchy. Many sources report that it ended in divorce yet this remains unverified as Patti is known to have passed on in 2005. According to her obituary, they were still together at her death. If this is anything to go by, then their marriage which lasted 41 years is one of the longest celebrity marriages considering they are known for short-lived marriages.

The Analyze That actor gave love a chance again when he met theatre producer, Emily Conner. The pair met at the New York Friars Club in 2010 and soon after, they started a relationship that led to marriage in 2018. Conner is successful in her own right and renowned for her production of plays like War Horse(2012). Also, she is the daughter of Diane Decker, an original member of The Serendipity Singers. As it is, her marriage with the stand-up comedian is the last one.

The Comedian had Three Children

Cooper was the father of three children of which two are biological while the third was adopted. He welcomed his biological children, Michael and Louise during his marriage with his first wife. His third child, Patti Jo Cooper(Weidenfeld) is the daughter of his second wife whom he adopted.

Pertaining to his relationship with them, reports have it that the Fighting Back actor was estranged from his family members including his children. Following his divorce, he is said to have paid child support but was not involved in their upbringing.

Members of his family accused him of exploiting them for comedy content. Reportedly, even his parents were not left out and when his father died, Cooper was not mentioned in the obituary.

On his part, Cooper refuted their claims and maintained that they only wanted him for his money. As such, he publicly feuded with them on radio shows.

See Also: Ali Siddiq: Bio, Age, Career, Wife, Other Facts About The Comedian

Pat Cooper Died at the Age of 93

The Outrage Comedian died on June 6, 2023, at his Las Vegas home. His death was announced by his wife Conner in a statement. Like his outburst during comedy routines, his death also drew a lot of reaction from fans, colleagues, and admirers.

Steve Garrin, a long-time collaborator who co-produced and wrote with the late comedian stated how heartbroken he was over the passing of his great friend. Though the cause of death of the 93-year-old comedian was not revealed, Garrin revealed that Cooper was suffering from a lot of health problems.