Recently, the team at LondonDailyPost sat down with Cooper Friedman to know some insights into his life and his latest film.
From your experience, does bullying happen a lot in the states? Is it a major occurrence more people need to be aware about?
Yes, I think bullying happens a lot in the United States. Studies have shown that about 20% of kids between the ages of 12-18 are bullied. That’s over 25 million kids in the US. Bullying is everywhere unfortunately, at school, at home, over the internet, over text… In fact, over the last 5 years the number of kids experiencing cyberbullying has increased 88%.
Have you personally experienced bullying?
I have been home schooled for 5 years and fortunately I think that has helped me not get bullied at school. However, I have been cyberbullied over the internet, while playing games. Also, I have been bullied on Instagram with rude and insulting comments.
Have you seen bullying happen and if so what did you do to stop it?
I have seen bullying on voice chats as well as text chats on different online games. I have told the bullies that they were being mean or their language was inappropriate. I have also told them that their bullying was unnecessary. If they didn’t stop, I got off the game. I think it’s much easier for bullies to be mean online because their identity is usually anonymous and they can say whatever they want.
What is your advice to any one that sees someone getting bullied?
If you see someone getting bullied you should help that person. If there is a trusted adult nearby you can ask them for help. If you are alone, you can help by standing up for the victim and taking them away from the situation. It is important to comfort the victim and tell them that they are not alone.
In your latest film, aTypical Wednesday, your character was bullied. Did you relate at all to that role?
I enjoyed playing Alec very much. JLee wrote, directed and starred in the film. His writing was brilliant and really showed the effects that bullying played on my character. I was aggressive and my character also bullied back. I really tried to understand this character and put myself in his shoes.
Your character also sought out therapy to cope, do you think there is a mental health crisis among kids and do you think it correlates with the bullying occurring in schools? If so, please explain.
I think there is definitely a mental health crisis among kids who are getting bullied. Bullying creates a domino effect on the person getting bullying. The victim can feel isolated, they might not want to go to school, or they will start doing poorly at school, and they might not want to be around their friends and family. In addition, bullying can lead to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, drug usage, and suicide. There was a study at Birmingham University that found children who are bullied are twice as likely to attempt suicide.
What is some advice you would give to someone who is being bullied.
I would tell them that they are not alone and that they have people that care about them. I would tell them that I care about them and that they should go and get help. They can seek a counselor, teacher, or tell their parents. It is important to help kids who are getting bullied as soon as possible in order to prevent harmful negative experiences and long-term effects.
How do you get involved and raise awareness among bullying and cyberbullying? Have you joined any organizations?
I started seeing cyberbullying more and more every time I got online. It made me sad and also made me angry. I wanted to do something about it. I am involved with SayNoBullying.org. They are an organization that helps prevent bullying and they also help victims who are being bullied. I have been part of the organization for over 5 years. I am a co-host at their October 4 virtual event this year.
We also heard you are an advocate for animals and you adopted your puppy. Can you tell us why you and your family chose to adopt and why you feel that is important?
I love animals. We adopted a little 9-month-old terrier/chihuahua mix. She is the sweetest dog. Her name is Nugget. She really has become part of the family and has been our emotional support dog tduring COVID. We knew we were going to adopt from the minute we decided we wanted a dog. There is a great organization called Paw Works that rescues dogs and cats from shelters and helps them find their forever families. I think it is so important to adopt animals because all of these animals need loving homes. Some of these animals are at kill shelters and they need someone to save them.
If you could change three things about the world what would it be and why?
If I could change three things about the world, I would make everyone be kind. We definitely need more kindness and compassion in this world. I would also help all the malnourished and hungry children. It is so sad and unbelievable that a child dies of hunger every 10 seconds in this world. My third thing would be to help the environment, specifically climate change. It is scary to see the climate change over the past ten years. The United States has seen more hurricanes, more fires, increased temperatures, as well as record breaking cold temperatures. It is scary to think what the next ten years will bring if we do not do something about it now.
Outside from acting, what are something you are passionate about?
I love karate. I am currently studying to get my black belt. I also love puzzles and building things.
Tell us five things that your fans do not know about you?
- I do not like chocolate
- I love to ice skate
- Favorite superhero is Spiderman
- I always wear socks.
- I love wasabi
Where can we find you on social media?
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter: cooperjfriedman