The Staffa Corner
The Staffa Corner
Grady Cooper Talks The Unicorn Cancelation and More
Married with two children, Grady Cooper was living the dream. Not only was he a loving family man, but he was also a successful TV editor having worked on shows like Survivor, Wilfred, The League, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. Then, in 2015 everything changed when Jane, his wife of 20 years, died of brain cancer.
Along with his daughters Audrey and Ellen, Grady faced a new reality as a single father. As time passed, he explored the possibility of dating again and found it to be an entirely different world from the last time he dated some 20 years ago. After sharing tales of his escapades with friends like Marvel’s Ant-man director Peyton Reed,they realized there was a potential comedy series in his stories. It wasn’t long until The Unicorn, starring Walton Goggins as Wade Felton, was born. The show would run for two seasons before getting canceled earlier this month.
It’s fascinating to listen to Grady talk about finding the comedy in tragedy while being respectful to his wife’s memory. I hadn’t known Goggins had lost his first wife to suicide and was surprised to hear how instrumental he was in assembling the talented and diverse cast.
One of the things I love about doing this podcast is seeing the human side of people like Peyton. We instantly associate himwith blockbuster films yet rarely think of his compassionate side in comforting a friend over the loss of his wife. I don’t know about you but I gained a lot of respect for the director hearing how he and others were there for Grady. As much as the series and Grady’s story is about moving forward after losing a loved one, it’s really about friendship.
It was a pleasure listening to Grady share his story especially on the heels of The Unicorn getting canceled. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did,