Join or Sign In

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Anderson Cooper Biography

Birth Name:Anderson Hays Cooper

Birth Place:New York City, New York, United States

Profession Producer, Actor, Writer, Director, Camera department

Fast Facts

Donates some of the proceeds from his memoir about his experiences working in Sri Lanka, Africa, Iraq and Louisiana, "Dispatches from the Edge," to charity
His family can be traced back to Cornelius Vanderbilt and brevet Civil War Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
When he was a baby, Diane Arbus photographed him for Harper's Bazaar, and when he was 3, he appeared on "The Tonight Show" with his mother, heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, starting off his lengthy experience with the media
Quote: "[on becoming a reporter] "I decided, well, if no one's going to give me a chance, I'm going to have to take a chance․ And I came up with this plan, which was to go to wars by myself with a home video camera ․․․ then I wouldn't have much competition․""
Quote: "[on becoming too desensitized to the violence he was reporting] "I realized I've got to stop, I've got to report on some state fairs or a beauty pageant or something, to just, like, remind myself of some perspective․""
Gained exposure as a news correspondent on ABC and CNN before hosting "Anderson Cooper 360․"
Because of a personal tragedy that inspired his interest in journalism, he made it his goal to explore the realities of loss and survival in his reporting
When he was young, his mother showed him a statue of his great-great-great-grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt that stood at Grand Central Station, which convinced him for several years that older relatives became statues when they died
His hair was completely gray by the time he was 35 and started changing to the color when he was 20

Awards

2005IDA Award-Continuing Series: winner
2006Emmy-Outstanding Live Coverage of a Breaking News Story - Long Form: winner
2006Emmy-Best Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast: nominated
2009Emmy-Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a News Magazine: winner
2011Emmy-Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast: winner
2011Emmy-Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story - Long Form: winner
2012Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Talk Show Host: nominated
2012Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Talk Show/Informative: nominated
2012Emmy-Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis: winner
2012Emmy-Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story - Long Form: nominated
2012People's Choice Award-Favorite Daytime TV Host: nominated
2013Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Talk Show Host: nominated
2013Emmy-Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a News Magazine: nominated
2013Emmy-Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis: winner
2014Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Writing: nominated
2015Emmy-Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story - Long Form: nominated
2016Emmy-Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine: nominated
2016Emmy-Best Report in a News Magazine: nominated
2016Emmy-Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis: winner
2017Emmy-Outstanding Business, Consumer and Economic Report: winner
2017Emmy-Outstanding Breaking News Coverage: nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Feature Story in a News Magazine: nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Writing: nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Live Interview: nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Live Interview: nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Feature Story in a News Magazine: winner
2017Emmy-Outstanding Arts, Culture and Entertainment Report: winner
2018Emmy-Outstanding Edited Interview: nominated
2018Emmy-Outstanding Arts, Culture and Entertainment Report: nominated
2018Emmy-Outstanding Business, Consumer and Economic Report: nominated
2018Emmy-Outstanding Live Interview: winner
2018Emmy-Outstanding Live Interview: nominated
2018Emmy-Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis: nominated
2019Emmy-Outstanding Investigative Report in a Newscast: nominated
2019Emmy-Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Report: nominated
2019Emmy-Best Story in a Newscast: nominated
2019Emmy-Outstanding Edited Interview: nominated