Cooper Koch has officially reached the point in fame where even a cigarette by the pool becomes a discourse.
Over the weekend, photos of the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story star lounging shirtless poolside hit social media — and fans instantly flooded the replies with thirst.
Wrapped in a striped towel in one shot and bright yellow trunks in another, Koch didn’t need anything more than abs and sunlight to set timelines ablaze.
“i wanna make waves with him so bad,” one fan confessed. Another was already hooked: “i’ll never get tired of seeing cooper koch pics.”
But not everyone was feeling it. The accessory in Koch’s hand — a cigarette — quickly divided the crowd.
Another added, “The cigarette is so gross.” A third said the discovery made him “far less attractive,” even while conceding Koch was “still handsome and hot.”
If the poolside candids revealed Koch as Hollywood’s new object of desire (and debate), his Sunday night turn at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards sealed the deal.
Stepping onto the carpet in a sleek Calvin Klein tux, the Monsters actor drew nothing but praise.
“Some names arrive quietly, but leave loudly. Cooper stepping onto the Emmys carpet shows a rising star ready to claim his spotlight,” one fan wrote. Another kept it simple: “100% pure class. Our First Lady.”
Koch, 29, is still riding the high of his breakout as Erik Menendez in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology Monsters. His chilling turn, especially in the one-take episode “The Hurt Man,” earned him his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series.
On the carpet, he shared that Lyle Menendez had messaged him ahead of the ceremony: “It’s not about the accolades. All that matters is the awareness.”
Whether it’s poolside thirst traps or tuxedoed elegance, Koch is in the phase of stardom where everything he does — from smoking to smiling — sets off a reaction. And if this weekend proved anything, it’s that Cooper Koch isn’t just an Emmy nominee. He’s a name people can’t stop talking (and drooling) about.
