Jackie Cooper

(Deceased) Born September 15, 1922 — Died May 3, 2011. Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television director and producer who achieved fame as one of Hollywood’s most successful child stars. Cooper appeared in the *Our Gang* comedy shorts before earning widespread acclaim for his starring role in the 1931 film *Skippy*. At nine years old, he became the youngest performer at that time to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His other early films included *The Champ*, *Treasure Island* and *The Bowery*. As an adult, Cooper successfully continued his career in television and film. He starred in the television series *The People’s Choice* and *Hennesey* and later became familiar to a new generation as newspaper editor Perry White in the Christopher Reeve *Superman* films. Cooper also enjoyed a distinguished career behind the camera, directing episodes of popular television series such as *M*A*S*H* and *The White Shadow*. He won two Emmy Awards for his directing work and remained active in entertainment for more than six decades.