VMAN #54 welcomes Cooper Koch to the spotlight as one of its six cover stars for its “A Day in the Life” issue. Captured by photographer Alvaro Beamud Cortes, the feature unfolds in a dreamscape of soft light.
Nicola Formichetti curates a wardrobe that mirrors Koch’s duality—tailored power and effortless ease. A sky-blue Gucci suit, worn bare-chested, turns morning languor into stylized elegance. It’s a portrait of an actor in motion, balancing discipline with a desire to let life unfold.
Cooper Koch for VMAN
Connecting with VMAN, Cooper Koch reflects on his evolution—before and after fame. “I was living in a small apartment in Silverlake. I was teaching yoga, scooping ice cream, doing e-commerce modeling jobs, and auditioning.”
Working for the ice cream company Salt & Straw, Koch recalls, “It filled me with such joy. I feel like that job, in a way, is what attracted “Monsters” because it made me so happy and busy and productive. It made my vibration so high that the job that I actually wanted came.”
To connect with Erik Menendez, his character in “Monsters,” Koch surrounded himself with affirmations. “It started with these Post-its that were on the inside of my medicine cabinet that say, like, ‘You can do this,’ ‘You’re an amazing actor,’ ‘Keep going,’ ‘I believe in you.’”
Discussing the process, Koch explains, “It’s a little kitschy at first, but if you read them all while you brush your teeth twice a day, they start organically seeping into your mind, and you start believing them.”
The experience of portraying Erik Menendez left Koch with a deeper understanding of acceptance. “The main lesson is that wisdom begins when you accept things as they are,” explains Koch.
Menendez has carved out a life for himself in prison. Koch explains, “Erik teaches speech classes, yoga, and meditation, and they help people who have been through sexual abuse.”
The 28-year-old actor continues, discussing the Menendez brothers, “They’ve gotten college degrees. They’ve found a life in prison because they’ve accepted what happened to them, and they accepted what they did. That takes such courage and bravery and strength and time. I think for that reason they deserve to come home.”
Building on the lessons of acceptance, theater remains Koch’s foundation. He started with childhood musicals and Broadway imitations, but over time, he developed a deeper understanding of performance. Koch realized that true acting comes from within and requires self-acceptance and emotional depth to fully embody another character.
Cooper Koch’s unwavering passion for acting keeps him moving forward. “You’re walking this line between what is real and what’s not. It’s this magical, euphoric feeling that is experienced by all the people in the room, and it’s different every night, and you don’t have to stop; you just live through it. I want to do that for the rest of my life.”
