Aussie actor Luke Cook almost gave up after 18 years in LA. Now, he's leading Good Cop/Bad Cop

Eighteen years ago, 20-year-old Luke Cook moved from Sydney to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a star. He almost immediately received offers for two television roles. However, due to visa issues, the opportunities slipped away. Now, at 38, Cook has finally landed his first leading role in the sitcom "Good Cop/Bad Cop," and looking back, he's actually grateful he didn't get his wish back then.

In an interview with ABC Entertainment, Cook stated, "If everything had come too easily back then, I probably wouldn't be as humble, and I would have thought success was readily available. Getting a job as soon as you get off the plane, you'd think, 'Oh, so that's how life is.' Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't have that experience, and it took me ten years to get any role." Perhaps you don't remember Cook's early one-episode roles in "Modern Family" and "How to Get Away with Murder," or his small part in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2."

These experiences led to more substantial recurring roles, including playing Satan in Netflix's bloody reboot "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," and Jack Danby, a handsome stand-up comedian competing with Deborah Vance for a late-night show host position in "Hacks." But it's more likely you've seen Cook on social media; since starting to regularly post content in 2020, his skits and parodies of influencers have earned him over 2.7 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. For Cook, social media fulfills his desire to entertain, and he has never distinguished it from acting, with Jim Carrey as his role model for balancing both.

Cook said, "My acting teacher used to say, 'Luke, you always want to put a parrot on your shoulder, but you don't need it in the scene.' But that was all early on." Cook has been fully promoting "Good Cop/Bad Cop" on social media, posting self-deprecating videos about his impending superstardom, in which he practices the behavior of an A-list star: [apology video](https://www.tiktok.com/@thelukecook/video/7472244301477514538?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7300720939887953409), [sold-out brand collaboration](https://www.tiktok.com/@thelukecook/video/7471418881563708714?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7300720939887953409), [refusing to do chores](https://www.tiktok.com/@thelukecook/video/7462155353543773483?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7300720939887953409). In one awkward video, he approaches a Hollywood tour bus, offering autographs and selfies in exchange for silence.

Cook stated, "It's certainly a joke about the idea of sudden fame, but it also contains a hope that this is an upward trend. Getting your first leading role feels like an important moment, but I don't know what it will mean for me; it's entirely possible that it's just a flash in the pan, fleeting." Compared to fame, Cook hopes more to bring stability to himself and his family; he and his New Zealand stylist wife, Kara Cook, have two children. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Cook turned to commercial directing and other industries; he had readjusted his mindset, viewing acting as a "hobby," when he received the audition invitation.

Cook said, "For much of my adult life, I was very eager to get an acting job. Just as I was actively saying, 'No, I'm going to turn a blind eye to Hollywood,' the opportunity came. If I had gotten those roles earlier, I might not have realized how tough the gig economy is and how it can disappear overnight. Thanks to the struggle and effort, I can understand and enjoy the pleasure of getting a job. It feels really good to work now." "Good Cop/Bad Cop" is a procedural sitcom somewhere between "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "NCIS," somewhat retro in tone, more like an old-school network hit than the viral, pop culture juggernauts that create modern stars.

The show is set in the fictional Pacific Northwest town of Eden Vale and tells the story of a pair of sibling detectives, played by Cook and "Gossip Girl" star Leighton Meester. Cook plays Henry, an eccentric, Type A genius lacking social skills, who has just returned to the area, while Meester plays Lou, who may be overly enthusiastic and is the tireless engine behind the small-town police station. They both crave the approval of their chief and father, Henry Senior (played by Clancy Brown).

Cook said, "Henry thinks he sees the world correctly, and everyone else is wrong. I think, in some ways, I think that too, we all do. I'm both weird and tall, and so is Henry. He's a rule follower, loves the law, is very curious, but he's not good at socializing. He won't waste calories when talking about the weather. Leighton's character is the complete opposite; she's completely community-oriented and comfortable with where she is." The result is a fun, lighthearted, and witty sibling rivalry sitcom that includes plenty of pop culture references (including many to "Twin Peaks") and enough "crime of the week" and family drama to keep you hooked.

Creator John Quaintance ("Workaholics," "Will & Grace") conceived "Good Cop/Bad Cop" as early as 2009, and it retains the charm of that era, perfect for fans of "Monk" or those tired of contemporary emotional comedies like "The Bear," "Hacks," or "Ted Lasso." Cook said, "I hope it takes you away from the madness of the world for a while. Through my silly Instagram and TikTok, I've always thought, 'If I can give one person 10 seconds of relaxation or release every day, I'm happy to do that.' But this show will do that in a bigger way."

Like Henry, "Good Cop/Bad Cop" also offers Cook a return. Although the show is set in the same gloomy location as "Twin Peaks," it was filmed on the Gold Coast last year—a result of the federal government's location offset program, which provides a 30% spending refund for foreign productions. The show is an official co-production between Australian streaming platform Stan and American television station The CW. Cook said, "I left Australia because there was a lack of industry opportunities here, and now, it's happening, and it's happening from overseas. People are discovering that Australia is a great place to film because the local crew is excellent, and our government is smart enough to offer tax incentives. This production employed 200 Queenslanders and injected a lot of money into the local economy."

On screen, the location of "Good Cop/Bad Cop" is indistinguishable—although, besides Meester and Brown, the cast is mostly made up of Australian faces. This includes "Boy Swallows Universe" star Felix Cameron, as well as Will McKenna ("Thou Shalt Not Steal"), Grace Chow ("Mystery Road: Origin"), and Dan Ilic—all of whom speak with American accents. The production team went to extra lengths for authenticity. They filmed on location in Canungra and at Village Roadshow Studios next to Movie World; they also had to be mindful of the sounds of kookaburras, digitally replace ferns with Washington pines, and watch out for bats flying overhead. Roads were closed to change traffic directions, cars were American models, and local sports fields were transformed into American football fields.

But beneath the surface, "Good Cop/Bad Cop" has an Australian engine—its directors and writers include Phil Lloyd ("Population 11"), Gracie Otto ("Heartbreak High"), and Julie de Fina ("The Office Australia"). As for Cook, he's ready to leave Hollywood again to film a second season, or any show that can take him back to the Gold Coast—but like any celebrity, he has one request. Cook said, "The Gold Coast is a very special place; I used to make fun of it when I was a kid, right? It's not worth making fun of anymore; it's a young city, and it's going to be very big and cool. But my wife and I live in West Hollywood, so I think the Gold Coast needs more gay bars."

"Good Cop/Bad Cop" is streaming on Stan, with new episodes airing weekly.