He used to wake up early to watch the Tony nominations. Now, this North Texan is a nominee

Before Jordan E. Cooper could properly hold a pen in his hand, he was already writing stories.

One of the earliest narratives crafted by the playwright from Hurst was a conversation between Santa Claus and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. He told the Star-Telegram he wasn’t even sure what he was doing, but he knew something felt right. Jordan was 6 years old.

“Each one of us has some kind of light to make this world a little bit brighter,” Cooper said. “Some people don’t discover that light and I’m just so grateful that I’ve discovered that light and now I get to show it to the world.”

Cooper’s creativity has taken the 28-year-old far past Texas and landed him in a league that only few can say they’re a part of: being a Tony Award-nominated playwright and actor. Along with being the youngest Black playwright in Broadway history.

The 76th annual Tony Awards are Sunday where the best and brightest in Broadway will be celebrated for their work on stage. Cooper’s play “Ain’t No Mo’” is nominated for six Tony awards, including two for himself.

“Ain’t No Mo’” is a high-concept comedy that asks the question, “What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?” The satirical play explores what it means to be Black in today’s America.

The play was a major career breakthrough for Cooper, who is still trying to wrap his head around his nomination.

“I have a habit of moving forward with blinders on,” he said. “I’m doing my best to learn to allow myself to feel, because its real and its happening and I’ve earned it.”

Jordan Cooper was born and raised in Hurst, TX

Growing up in Hurst, Cooper knew from an early age he wanted to be an artist, which came as a bit of surprise to his parents.

Angela Cooper, 61, said that both she and her husband, Eley, have families that come from athletic backgrounds. When Jordan said he was interested in the arts, Angela and Ely weren’t sure what to make of it. But they accepted the young boy’s proclamation with open arms.

“As parents that’s something you need to do,” Angela said. “You need to nurture, you need to feed your children when you see that they are interested in something because you just never know where it goes.”

From putting on shows in his parents living room, to entertaining the New Beginnings Baptist Church crowd on Sundays, Jordan discovered his creative spark early on.

Their church pastor even made adjustments around the sanctuary to allow Jordan to put on plays, including putting up curtain rods around the stage that are still there today.

Jordan joined a local production group while in his teens in search of his writer’s voice. At 15, he was cast in the 2012 movie “Wolf.”

Through most of it, Jordan’s family was right there with him — supporting him at every turn with emotional support to being his own personal taxi service.

“[Jordan] didn’t want to learn how to drive because he said he always knew at an early age that he wanted to live in New York,” Angela joked. “In New York, you didn’t need to know how to drive, so he never wanted to do that. So we took him around everywhere.”

Jordan took his first theater class at L.D. Bell High School, where he sharpened his art. A few weeks after graduation, Jordan led his own play at Fort Worth’s Jubilee Theater.

Jordan chose to attend college at The New School of Drama in New York, diving headfirst into his quest to be a playwright.

It was a daunting move for the young artist — making a big creative leap and living halfway across the country away from his family. But he really wasn’t doing this alone.

“When I walk into these rooms, I’m not entering alone,” he said. “I’m entering with everybody who’s poured into me in some way, shape or form.”

Jordan Cooper takes a bite of the Big Apple

Shortly after Jordan arrived in New York, he got his big break.

One day, between going to school and performances, his agent called letting him know that he was having lunch with Lee Daniels, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker known for “Precious” and “The Butler.” His agent told him he would bring some of his work to the lunch to show Daniels.

Two long weeks later, Jordan receives an email from Daniels asking Jordan if he would share an early version of “Ain’t No Mo’.” The young Texan obliged. Daniels was impressed, and came on board as a producer.

Flash forward a few years and “Ain’t No Mo’” opened on Broadway in December 2022 at the Belasco Theatre.

The play was a creative juggernaut, receiving rave reviews and visits from celebrities such as Tyler Perry and RuPaul. The play closed a few weeks later, ending just before the New Year.

In total, the play ran for 28 performances and of those, Angela was there for six shows.

“If I could have been there more times, I would have been there more times,” she said.

Jordan Cooper’s childhood dream comes true

Angela always had a hard time getting Jordan up for school in the mornings, except on the day Tony Awards nominations were scheduled to be broadcast.

On those days, Jordan was dressed and ready to go so he could catch a glimpse of the show before heading to school. This year’s awards show was no different.

Jordan was back home in Hurst with his family for the May 2 broadcast. Between cooking breakfast and waiting for the broadcast to begin, the family gathered in the same living room in which Jordan used to perform.

And there it was: his name on the small screen.

“We were up jumping and screaming and hugging and thanking God,” Angela said. “Afterwards we were like, ‘Who else was in the category?’ We didn’t get that far, we didn’t hear anything else.”

“Ain’t No Mo’” received six nominations, including for Best Play and for Best Actor in a Feature Role.

Angela and the family are flying to New York this weekend for the awards show. Of course they want Jordan to win, but even if he doesn’t, the ride has all been spectacular.

“It’s just an honor at this age for your first play to have six Tony nominations,” she said.

A musical and movie might be in Jordan Cooper’s future

The young man from Hurst lives a busy life in New York. Beyond the stage, Jordan helped create the BET+ series, “The Ms. Pat Show.” The series wrapped up its third season earlier this year and has already been renewed for a fourth.

He landed the gig on the small screen from his partnership with Daniels, who also serves as an executive producer on the television show.

Jordan is now writing a musical, and he just finished his first feature film script.

He is living his dream, but through it all he never forgets where he came from.

“I remember wanting it so bad and now I’m in it,” he said. “My younger self would be so enamored.”

The 76th Annual Tony Awards will air at 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS and Paramount+.