Brad Cooper (Parry Shen)

Bradley "Brad" Cooper is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.

He has been portrayed by actor Parry Shen since 2013.

Brad is an employee at General Hospital.

Dr. Britt Westbourne is his best friend.

Casting
Brad Cooper was introduced to the series on February 13, 2013. However, Parry Shen took over the role in May 2013. The role was originated by an unknown actor on February 13, 2013.

Shen stepped into the role on May 3, 2013. "I was kind of getting bored and looking for something new. Something to challenge me and get me scared," Shen said of his reason for taking the role. When he auditioned, Shen was told that the role was recurring and didn't expect it to last long.

On January 29, 2018, it was announced that Parry Shen, who hasn't been seen since May 2017, will return to General Hospital sometime this year.

Characterization
The writers initially described the character to Shen as "opportunistic, very smarmy, confident" and someone with an agenda that benefits himself. Shen perceived Brad's advances toward Felix as "power-playing," to get something he wants. However, Shen appreciated that he was not immediately made aware of Brad being gay.

Instead of playing with a certain mentality, Shen brought a specific personality to the character, who just happened to be gay. Shen described his portrayal as very "different." Shen categorized Brad as the resident "evil heel."

Though Shen does his best to bring humor to the character, he relishes portraying the more raunchy side of his character. On his official website, Shen published a poster ad featuring the character with the caption, "What A Prick!" In the picture, Shen, as Brad is wielding a syringe just like Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati). According to Shen, the character of Brad sticks around because he is so unique.

Shen on how biology has shaped Brad's behavior,


 * "You start seeing another side of Brad. Even though you know he’s kind of a prick, he’s [also] kind of ashamed of his dad because he took it to a whole new level where it’s about murdering and stealing from people who are weak and Brad just doesn’t want any part of that. Deep down he’s a human being. He’s not getting into the family business. He’s been adopted – he was bullied. We get to see why he turned out to be the way he is."

Background
Shen initially thought his character's surname was a joke because the character was named after the award winning actor. Brad is bullied as a kid because he was a "fat, Chinese, gay tap dancer." Despite the bullying, Brad was extremely accomplished as a young tap dancer.

On January 24, 2014, it is revealed that Brad is the son of Kim Wu (aka Kim Soong) (Steven Leigh), and great-grandson of Mr. Wu (Aki Aleong). Brad was actually adopted and was forced to go searching for his biological roots on his own. The producers kept the secret up until the onscreen reveal.

On June 13, 2016, Brad married Lucas Jones.

Storylines
Brad is a lab technician at the GH lab. Dr. Britt Westbourne helps get him the promotion to lab manager in exchange for doctoring some fake lab tests to show that she is being affected by Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The medical condition is used as a possible excuse to get Britt to live with her ex-boyfriend Dr. Patrick Drake, the supposed father of her unborn child. Brad is promoted to lab manager soon before Britt's sick leave, which gives Ellie Trout, another lab tech, some suspicions of a possible secretive alliance between Brad and Britt.
 * -|2013-14=

Brad has eyes for fellow GH employee and nurse Felix DuBois, who is disgusted by the thought, but attempts to use this to get information for Patrick and Patrick's girlfriend, nurse Sabrina Santiago. He continues his warped sense of justice and attempts to make Michael Corinthos agree to have sex with him (even though Michael is clearly straight and was raped by a homosexual guy in prison in 2009) in exchange for his "silence" about witnessing Michael kissing his cousin Kiki Jerome. On September 4, Brad tells Felix that he really likes him. They almost kiss but Patrick interrupts and punches Brad for helping Britt lie about the baby. Brad is the father of Britt's son (via sperm donation). Brad stop Dante at the hospital to tell him something about Britt's baby. After the baby is born Brad goes to look at the baby but doesn't approach Britt or the baby.

At Connie Falconeri II's christening Brad reveals that Maxie and Spinelli were actually Connie's parents not Dante an Lulu. At the General Hospital Halloween party Brad tells Felix that he is not Ben's father. It has been comfirmed that Brad is not Ben's father.

After a fight with Felix, Brad goes off to blow off some steam at the Floating Rib. While at the bar an already inebriated Brad meets a frustrated Lucas Jones. Over the course of a few drinks the two discover they have similar pasts - both being adoptive and their birth father's being nothing they had imagined them to be. Brad also reveals that his father is Kim Wu, a former mobster in Port Charles in the mid 1980s, and that his mother died while giving birth to him. Feeling a connection they send the night together. Later the next day, Brad leaves Lucas at his apartment only for Lucas to find him later at GH, but not before Brad makes up with Felix and the two decide to go out on their first official date later that night.

Brad later talks to Lucas about their night together and explain his complicated relationship with Felix and their future plans. Lucas then in turn to tells Brad that there's still chance for the two before leaving. Brad later talks to Felix again about their impending date. Brad and Felix don't end up working out but he and Lucas do. Britt, Brad's best friend, flees town and he is devastated. Since August 15, he is in a relationship with Lucas Jones.

After Valentines Day 2015, Lucas moves in with him.
 * -|2015-16=

Britt does come out of hiding to watch the Nurses' Ball red carpet show with Brad like they did last year. At the Nurses Ball on May 1, Brad asks Lucas to marry him and he accepts.

On July 23, it is revealed that he can't marry Lucas because he's already married. On August 14, it is later revealed that Brad is married to his college friend, Rosalie Martinez and because of spousal privilege and them having witnessed a crime, they can't get divorced or else they will have to testify against each other.

In 2016, Brad revealed that he and Rosalie figured out a way to divorce without having to testify against each other.


 * -|2017-18=

Crimes Committed

 * Committed a crime or witnessed Rosalie Martinez commit a crime and got married so they wouldn't have to testify against each other [revealed Aug 2015; divorce revealed in Feb 2016]
 * Fraud; conspired with Dr. Britt Westbourne and her mother, Dr. Liesl Obrecht to steal Dante and Lulu Falconeri's remaining two embryos and impregnate Britt with one of them and she later gave birth to their son, Ben [Feb 2013; revealed Dec 2013; revealed that it was only one Apr 2014]
 * Conspired with Dr. Britt Westbourne to pass "her" child off as Dr. Patrick Drake's and then when that didn't work he lied and said the baby was his [2013]
 * Conspired with Britt and helped her fake hyperemesis gravidarum during her pregnancy and in exchange he received a promotion [May 2013]
 * Attempted to blackmail Michael Corinthos into exchanging sexual favors for Brad's silence regarding Michael's feelings for Kiki Jerome [Aug 2013]
 * Adultery; had an affair with Lucas Jones while married to Rosalie [Aug 15, 2014-Feb 2016; revealed Aug 14, 2015]
 * Aided and abetted Britt Westbourne (let her hide in his apartment) [Apr-May 2015]
 * Conspired with Dr. Liesl Obrecht to alter Dr. Hamilton Finn's drug test [Apr-Jul 2017]

Health and Vitals

 * Assaulted by Patrick Drake as he and Felix were about to kiss [Sep 2013]
 * Threatened at knifepoint by Dr. Liesl Obrecht (she threatened to rip his tongue out if he revealed to anyone that Britt was not really Ben/Rocco's mother) [Mar 2014]
 * Pushed off a parapet by Liesl Obrecht [Mar 2014]
 * Held hostage at gunpoint in a chapel-full of people by Landon Dixon [Feb 19, 2016; shown from Feb 23-24, 2016]