A Nottingham man who once photographed the Friends cast and hung out with A-List celebrities has told of his incredible career in America.
Photographer Mark Cooper, of Chilwell, is full of incredible stories about his 25 years in LA in the 1980s and 90s.
He even photographed the Friends cast for a charity eventbeing held at Engelbert Humperdinck's mansion on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
Mark also spent five years in Dallas and five years in Austin but still calls himself "a Nottingham lad".
He moved back to Chilwell over four years ago to care for his elderly parents, but plans to return to the US by the end of the year.
The 65-year-old said: "I call myself an American with a British accent.
"I went over there for a holiday and thought I would like to stay. I had a business that went south and my marriage was going south, too, so I closed my shop in Hucknall and off I went.
"I got off the plane and had no idea where to go. I found an English pub and met some people there. I had the time of my life.
"During my time there I did a job with a charity event where I took photos of the Friends cast. People had wads of cash and wanted to be seen with famous people.
"Courtney Cox was lovely, they were all very friendly. The fact that the reunion has come out is a good time to tell people that I've met them.
"I also bumped into them at a restaurant in Beverley Hills. Myself and a friend were rushing in and Brad Pitt knocked him flying and he landed on his bum. He was very friendly about it."
When Mark first arrived in the States, he saw a camera shop advertising for staff in Santa Monica and jumped at the opportunity.
Mark went on to meet dozens of celebrities through work, including Barbara Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Martin Sheen, Rod Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne.
He said: "Being from Nottingham, you never meet anybody famous. Working in a high-end camera shop, you got a lot of celebrities going in.
"I shot so many events that you become less and less starstruck. I was on the same football team as Rod Stewart - but he was better than me.
"The camera shop did all the photofinishing for the playboy mansion and when my parents came to visit, I took them on a tour of the mansion.
"I think they were jealous, they came over countless times."
But Mark said he's desperate to return to the States as he "hates the weather" in England.
He said: "There's not a thing I like here. I will be retiring in Florida hopefully this year, with a pool and a home cinema.
"I will be starting a new chapter, it is all a big adventure. Having no siblings, there was never a reason for me to stay in Nottingham."
