Childhood & Early Life
Rory Cochrane was born on February 28, 1972, in New York, to Indian actor Nicki Cochrane. His father is of Irish ethnicity. Rory was just a few months old when his family moved from Syracuse, New York, to Cambridge in England. He lived there till he turned 8.
Rory grew up with his older brother, Brendan, and sister, Siobhan. After returning to the US, Rory pursued his higher studies in dramatics from the 'LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts' of 'New York University.'
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Career
Rory’s career began in 1990, with a brief appearance in the 'ABC' drama 'H.E.L.P.' The following year, he made his big-screen debut with the neo-noir 'A Kiss Before Dying,' in which he appeared on screen for about 15 seconds. Rory’s first full-fledged film role was that of ‘Ed’ in the 1992 crime drama 'Fathers & Sons.' The film featured several social malpractices, such as drugs, gang wars, and promiscuous sex. Rory had a nude scene in the film.
Rory played a weed addict named ‘Ron Slater’ in the 1993 coming-of-age comedy film 'Dazed and Confused.' Rory's look in the film made him a favorite with the grunge crowd. He played an addict in his next film, the 1994 road movie 'Love and a .45.' His character, ‘Billy Mack Black,’ was the prison mate of ‘Watty Watts,’ played by Gil Bellows.
Rory’s next significant film role was that of ‘Lucas,’ an employee at an independent record store in the 1995 American coming-of-age comedy–drama 'Empire Records.' The same year, he had a lead role in 'The Low Life.' Rory essayed the role of ‘Dante Clericuzio,’ the grandson of mafia leader ‘Domenico Clericuzio,’ in the 'CBS' miniseries 'The Last Don,' based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo.
In 1999, he starred as a rookie Los Angeles police officer named ‘Chris O'Brien’ opposite Gina Gershon, in the TV movie 'Black and White.' The following year, he shared screen space with his 'Dazed and Confused' co-star and friend Adam Goldberg in the comedy–drama 'Sunset Strip.' The film featured Rory as ‘Felix,’ a depressed songwriter willing to die of drug and alcohol overdose. Rory was also featured in the music video 'Many Men' by '50 Cents.'
Rory’s next prominent TV role came in 2002, when he began his stint with the 'CBS' police-procedural drama 'CSI: Miami.' Rory initially appeared as ‘Timothy Speedle’ in the first 'CSI' franchise. He later became a regular on the show, portraying a fierce but level-headed detective.
Rory was not satisfied with the manner in which his 'CSI' character exited the show. He had previously had a few creative differences with the makers. His character was shot dead while on duty. Meanwhile, Rory voiced his 'CSI' character in the show’s video game version. He also appeared in the comedy talk-show 'Dinner for Five.' After 'CSI,' Rory worked in two more TV productions, 'The Company' in 2007 and '24' in 2009.
Rory played ‘Brad,’ an out-of-work musician, in the 2006 thriller 'Right at Your Door.' When he was offered the role, Rory was slightly apprehensive about playing a husband living off his wife’s earnings. Nevertheless, he was fascinated by the gradual development of his character in the film.
In 2012, Rory became part of the award-winning historical drama 'Argo.' It was based on the book 'The Master of Disguise' by 'US Central Intelligence Agency' official Tony Mendez, who was part of the rescue mission known as the 'Canadian Caper.' Rory shared two awards with the cast of the film, namely, the 'Hollywood Film Festival Award' for the ‘Ensemble of the Year’ and the 'Screen Actors Guild Award' for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.’ The 'Academy Award'-winning film, however, faced criticism for distorting a few facts. One of them was about Rory’s character, ‘Lee Schatz,’ who was shown settling down at Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor’s residence, along with his fellow escapees. The depiction apparently contradicted the real incident, in which the escapees stayed at the homes of both Taylor and John Sheardown, another Canadian official.
Rory essayed the role of ‘First Sergeant Thomas Metz’ in the 2017 western film 'Hostiles.' He will be seen as ‘Dan Lecroy’ in the upcoming supernatural horror film 'Antlers.'
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Family & Personal Life
Rory has somehow managed to keep his personal life majorly under the wraps. He has had a relationship with his co-star Renée Zellweger. Rory and Renée have worked together in four movies, 'Empire Records,' 'Love and a 45,' 'The Low Life,' and 'Dazed and Confused.’
Back in 1988, rumors claimed that Rory was married to a girl named Rebecca Columbus. The actor had never even heard of her, and the rumor turned out to be false. Rory has briefly dated his 'Dazed and Confused' co-star Joey Lauren Adams, too.
Currently, Rory is reported to be dating someone named Tracy Zahoryin. The media first highlighted the relationship after the two were clicked at a grocery shop in 2013. Even though Rory has not confirmed his relationship status yet and still maintains he is single, the so-called couple is quite active on social media. They often post their pictures on 'Instagram,' featuring their live music dates. On April 8, 2018, Rory and Tracy attended a live music concert in Victoria, Texas.
In April 2019, a hoax regarding Rory’s death surfaced. The rumor was later said to be just another addition to the latest trend of fake celebrity death reports.
Rory is an avid traveler and a good chess player. He owns a ‘Ducati’ bike and loves partying and clubbing. One of his 'Dazed and Confused' co-stars once referred to him as a "loud, bawling Irish drinker." Rory is known for improvising dialogues for his roles. He did that quite often for 'Dazed and Confused.' He prefers rehearsing his role with friends.
Facts About Rory Cochrane
Rory Cochrane's passion for acting started at a young age when he performed in school plays and local theater productions.
In addition to his acting career, Rory Cochrane is known for his laid-back personality and quirky sense of humor on and off screen.
Rory Cochrane is a dedicated environmentalist and has been involved in various conservation efforts to protect the planet.
Despite his success in Hollywood, Rory Cochrane values his privacy and prefers to keep a low profile when it comes to his personal life.
Rory Cochrane has a diverse taste in music and is known to be a fan of various genres, often attending concerts and music festivals in his free time.