Cooper Koch has officially entered that rare tier of fame where even something as simple as a cigarette by the pool sparks a full-blown debate.
Over the weekend, the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story star was photographed lounging shirtless by the pool, and the internet reacted accordingly — with a flood of thirst-laden comments.
Wrapped in a striped towel in one shot and rocking bright yellow swim trunks in another, Koch didn’t need much more than toned abs and golden sunlight to ignite timelines across social media.
“I wanna make waves with him so bad,” one fan swooned. Another gushed, “I’ll never get tired of seeing Cooper Koch pics.”
Some comments were less poetic, like one person who boldly declared: “I’d squirt goofy juice all over that d*ck.”
But not all reactions were heart-eyes emojis. The accessory in Koch’s hand — a cigarette — proved to be polarising.
“Gross and I thought he was hot looking,” one disappointed user wrote. Others agreed, with one saying, “The cigarette is so gross,” and another adding that while Koch remained “handsome and hot,” the smoke made him “far less attractive.”
Still, any minor controversy didn’t slow his momentum. On Sunday night, Koch hit the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards red carpet, swapping swimwear for a sleek Calvin Klein tux — and receiving unanimous 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 summed it up simply: “100% pure class. Our First Lady.”
The 29-year-old actor is still riding the wave of his breakout performance as Erik Menendez in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology Monsters. His haunting portrayal — particularly in the gripping one-take episode The Hurt Man — earned him his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series.
On the red carpet, Koch revealed that Lyle Menendez had reached out before the awards: “It’s not about the accolades. All that matters is the awareness.”
Whether he’s posting poolside snaps or turning heads on the red carpet, Cooper Koch has reached a point in his career where every move — from smoking to smiling — sets off a cultural ripple. And if this weekend’s buzz is any indication, Koch isn’t just an Emmy nominee. He’s a rising icon everyone’s talking about — and thirsting over.
