Maxwell Perry Cotton

Young actor Maxwell Perry Cotton made his television debut at six years old as series regular Cooper Whedon on the Emmy-nominated ABC drama "Brothers & Sisters." Cotton played Whedon from the series' inception in 2006, and has appeared in 82 episodes over the course of the show's run into 2011, acting with Rachel Griffiths as his mother, Sarah Walker, and Kerris Dorsey as his screen sister, Paige.

In 2007, the blond, mischievous-eyed Cotton stepped into the classic role of Dennis Mitchell for the feature-length straight-to-video movie "A Dennis the Menace Christmas," opposite Robert Wagner as Mr. Wilson.

In 2009, he made his debut in theaters in the family drama "Like Dandelion Dust," playing Joey Campbell, the central child role in an intimate portrayal of parenting; the part earned Cotton Best Actor Honorable Mention at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival that year.

In 2011, he landed a significant supporting part in the family comedy "Mr. Popper's Penguins," a big-budget film that afforded him the opportunity to work with the likes of Jim Carrey, gaining the star much wider exposure.

Cotton's younger brother, Mason Vale Cotton, has a budding career of his own, primarily through his recurring role of M.J. Delfino on the popular comedic drama "Desperate Housewives."