Special Agent Dale Cooper

Dale Cooper
Twin Peaks character
Kyle MacLachlan as Dale Cooper
First appearance	"Pilot"
Last appearance	Part 18
Portrayed by	Kyle MacLachlan
Information
Occupation	FBI Special Agent
Religion	Unitarian Tibetan Buddhist
Nationality	American
Duration	1990–1991, 2017-2018

FBI Special Agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ABC television series Twin Peaks and Showtime's continuation of the same name. He also plays a supporting role in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

An eccentric FBI agent, Cooper arrives in Twin Peaks in 1989 to investigate the brutal murder of the popular high school student, Laura Palmer.

Creator David Lynch named Cooper in reference to D. B. Cooper, an unidentified man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft on November 24, 1971.

MacLachlan has stated that he views Cooper as an older version of his character in Blue Velvet (1986), a previous David Lynch collaboration. "I see my character as Jeffrey Beaumont grown up. Instead of being acted upon, he has command on the world."

Cooper displays an array of quirky mannerisms such as giving a 'thumbs up' when satisfied, sage-like sayings, and distinctive sense of humor along with his love for a good cherry pie and a "damn fine cup of coffee" which he takes black. One of his most popular habits is recording spoken-word tapes to a mysterious woman called "Diane" into his microcassette recorder that he always carries with him, that often contain everyday observations and thoughts on his current case.

Born on April 19, 1954, Dale Cooper is a graduate of Germantown Friends School and Haverford College. He is quirky and intellectual, with a profound interest in the mystical, particularly in Tibet and Native American mythology. Much of his work is based on intuition and even dreams. On joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cooper was based at the Bureau offices in Philadelphia. It was here that Cooper was partnered with the older Windom Earle. At some point, Cooper would be placed under the authority of FBI Chief Gordon Cole, which sometimes meant being handed the mysterious 'Blue Rose' cases. Some time after Cooper joined the Bureau, Earle's wife, Caroline, was a witness to a federal crime. Earle and Cooper were assigned to protect her, and it was around this time that Cooper began an affair with Caroline. However, one night, while in Pittsburgh, Cooper let his guard down, and Earle murdered Caroline in a jealous rage. Earle was subsequently sent to a mental institution. Cooper was devastated by the loss of the woman he would later refer to as the love of his life, and swore to never again get involved with someone who was a part of a case to which he was assigned.