From cleaning floors to comedy stardom: the rise of Daisy May Cooper
In short: Before becoming a celebrated writer and actress, Daisy May Cooper spent her days working as a cleaner alongside her brother. Their shared experiences in the West Country eventually fueled the creation of their hit series, turning humble beginnings into a career defined by critical acclaim and versatile comedic performances.
Born in Basingstoke and raised in a modest council home in Cirencester, Daisy May Cooper followed a path to the screen that began at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she graduated in 2010. Her early career included a minor role in the ITV series Doc Martin, but professional success remained elusive until she returned to her roots. Working as a cleaner with her brother, Charlie Cooper, provided the raw material for their breakout project, This Country. The siblings developed a pilot for ITV in 2014, which laid the groundwork for the mockumentary series that would eventually launch on BBC Three.
The success of This Country was significant, earning Cooper the top prize for female comedy acting at the 2018 British Academy Television Awards. The show ran for three series, concluding in 2020. This period marked a shift in her career trajectory, as she began securing roles in high-profile projects such as Armando Iannucci’s space comedy Avenue 5 and the film The Personal History of David Copperfield. Her creative output continued to expand beyond her initial collaboration with her brother; in 2022, she co-wrote and starred in the series Am I Being Unreasonable? alongside Selin Hizli, a project that has seen multiple series releases.
Cooper’s career is marked by a diverse range of appearances, from reality television and game shows like Taskmaster and The Masked Singer to dramatic and comedic roles in productions like Rain Dogs and The Witchfinder. By 2025, she was featured in the inaugural series of the UK version of LOL: Last One Laughing. Her personal life has also been a subject of public interest, including her marriage to Will Weston in 2019 and their subsequent separation in 2021. Throughout these transitions, Cooper has maintained a consistent presence in British television, balancing writing, acting, and voice work, such as her role as Tiny the elephant for TSB bank.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Daisy May Cooper
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