What do you get when you instill community, purpose, and direction in someone at an early age? You get a person who’s grounded, focused, and ready to walk through the world with intention. A perfect example of that is a young man by the name of Elijah M. Cooper.
Recently announced as a series regular on the hit series 9-1-1, Cooper will star alongside the incomparable Angela Bassett, a queen, a trailblazer, and a legend in cinema. But his story doesn’t begin in Hollywood; it begins in Atlanta, Georgia, in the home of a Morehouse man and a Spelman woman.
When someone achieves something this significant at such a young age, the first question people usually ask is, Who are they? But the better questions are: Where are they from? and What was instilled in them that gave them the tools to reach this point? Those are exactly the kinds of questions I got to ask when I sat down with Cooper earlier this week.
HBCUs are known for their strong sense of community, cultivating relationships that evolve from classmates to family. That same energy exists within the household Cooper grew up in, a home rooted in the values of service, faith, and discipline.
“I’m a SpelHouse legacy, so I grew up with my parents caring for the community, putting in the work, and wanting to add good to the world,” Cooper shared. “My uncles and aunties are also from that same environment, so I grew up with those principles that made me say, ‘Hey, the world is this way.’ But it wasn’t until I got to experience it myself where I learned this was actually cultivated somewhere, and Morehouse was that place for me.”
That sense of purpose would eventually guide Cooper through life’s unexpected turns.
Before acting came into play, Cooper’s first love was baseball. It was his passion until a respiratory injury affected his breathing and forced him to step away from the game. What seemed like a setback, however, became a divine redirection.
“My big sister was actually in acting classes before me,” he recalled. “A little bit of sibling rivalry made me want to go in there and show her up a little bit. That’s when I really fell in love with acting — it helped with my breathing and gave me an opportunity to learn more about myself.”
What started as curiosity became a calling. Cooper has since appeared in Line of Duty, Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!, Goosebumps: The Vanishing, and now 9-1-1, where he stars alongside Bassett.
When asked what it’s been like working with so many industry veterans, Cooper spoke with humility and gratitude.
“First, being able to work with so many people who do so many different things on set, and the second is working with Mrs. Angela Bassett,” Cooper shared. “Especially, since ‘Harry’ is a highly regarded character on the show, I wanted to make sure I was doing right by it. From day one, she could see I was stressed out because I had scenes with her and I had to yell at her and all these different things, so she eventually pulled me to the side and told me, ‘Listen, you’re meant to be here. You passed the barrier, so now all you have to do is come on set and shine. We’re all here for a reason.’ She literally poured into me and did the same thing for my castmate who plays her daughter, Corinee Massiah.”
He added, “I’ve been able to work with Jamie Foxx on Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!, David Schwimmer on Goosebumps, and Ms. Bassett on this show. I’ve been blessed to learn from so many legends.”
Even with his growing success as an actor, Cooper’s ambitions stretch far beyond the screen. He’s also an entrepreneur and founder of Tints Streetwear, a clothing brand aimed at supporting fading art forms and expanding access to golf for Black and Brown youth.
“I want to get into creating and producing,” he said. “Acting has been a blessing, but I’ve realized you have to wait for someone else’s ‘yes.’ I want to be my own ‘yes.’ And it’s not just for me — I want to help other people flourish and achieve their dreams too.”
Elijah Cooper’s story is still being written, but his trajectory already reflects something bigger — a blend of faith, family, and focus that continues to guide him.
Before our conversation wrapped up, I asked him one final question: What do young Black men need?
He didn’t hesitate. “Young Black men need direction.”
And from the way he’s moving, Cooper is already providing that example.
Make sure to catch new episodes of 9-1-1 on Thursdays at 8 PM on ABC and Fridays on Hulu and Disney+.
