Who plays Bertram Cooper on Mad Men?

Robert Morse plays Bertram “Bert” Cooper on Mad Men. Bert is the senior partner of Sterling Cooper and one of the agency’s founders, making him a key figure in its business history.

Cooper founded Sterling Cooper with Roger Sterling Sr. in 1923 after building a career as a media buyer. Though he is portrayed as elderly and eccentric, Bert is an experienced, calculating businessman with strong connections in New York society. He is especially protective of the agency’s reputation and financial interests.

Bert also serves as a mentor and surrogate father figure to Roger Sterling. When Sterling Cooper is sold to the British firm Putnam, Powell & Lowe, he reluctantly accepts the consequences of the deal. After the agency is later threatened with another sale, he helps create Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce with Roger, Don Draper, and other partners.

Robert Morse’s performance became one of the show’s distinctive supporting turns. Viewers may confuse Bert with John Slattery’s Roger Sterling or Jared Harris’s Lane Pryce, but Morse is the actor associated with Bertram Cooper. The character is also known for his love of Japanese art, conservative politics, and memorable musical appearance late in the series.