John Cooper Jr. was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Oscar nomination. At age 9 he became the youngest performer to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, an honor that he received for the film Skippy. For nearly 50 years, Cooper remained the youngest Oscar nominee in any category. Later in life he became known for portraying Perry White in the Superman films.