Anderson Cooper

Biography: An American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The programme is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories. Since September 12, 2011, he has also hosted an eponymous syndicated daytime talk show.

Anderson Hays Cooper is the younger son of the writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and the artist, designer, writer, and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, and is a great-great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt of the prominent Vanderbilt shipping and railroad fortune. Cooper?s media experience began early. As a baby, he was photographed by Diane Arbus for Harper?s Bazaar. At the age of 3 Cooper was a guest on The Tonight Show on September 17, 1970, appearing with his mother. At the age of 9, he appeared on To Tell the Truth as an impostor. From age 10 to 13 Cooper modelled with Ford Models for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Macy?s.

Cooper?s father suffered a series of heart attacks while undergoing open-heart surgery, and died January 5, 1978, at the age of 50. Cooper considers his father?s book Families to be "sort of a guide on...how he would have wanted me to live my life and the choices he would have wanted me to make. And so I feel very connected to him."

Cooper?s older brother, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, committed suicide on July 22, 1988, at age 23, by jumping from the 14th-floor terrace of Vanderbilt?s New York City penthouse apartment. Gloria Vanderbilt later wrote about her son?s death in the book A Mother?s Story, in which she expresses her belief that the suicide was caused by a psychotic episode induced by an allergy to the anti-asthma prescription drug salbutamol. Anderson cites Carter?s suicide for sparking his interest in journalism. "Loss is a theme that I think a lot about, and it?s something in my work that I dwell on. I think when you experience any kind of loss, especially the kind I did, you have questions about survival: Why do some people thrive in situations that others can?t tolerate? Would I be able to survive and get on in the world on my own?"

Cooper has two older half-brothers, Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski (born 1950), and Christopher Stokowski (born 1952), from Gloria Vanderbilt?s ten-year marriage to the conductor Leopold Stokowski.

He lives in his home in Westhampton Beach on Long Island and a penthouse duplex on New York City?s 38th Street.

Cooper has never married and has actively avoided discussing his private life, citing a desire to protect his neutrality as a journalist. His public reticence deliberately contrasts with his mother?s life spent in the spotlight of tabloid journalists and her publication of memoirs explicitly detailing her affairs with celebrities. Cooper vowed "not to repeat that strategy."

When asked about his sexuality, he stated, "I understand why people might be interested. But I just don?t talk about my personal life. It?s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that you?re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you?re in, and I don?t want to do anything that threatens that." He has, however, discussed his desire to have a family and children