From his early guest spots on Alias and Sex and the City to his starring roles in the latest blockbuster films, Bradley Cooper has been winning over audiences for more than 15 years. Taking on both comedic and dramatic roles, he has constantly proven his versatility as an actor. His starring role in hit comedy The Hangover showed that he was lead material. Since then, he has had his pick of roles, from romantic leading men to serious biopic stories. His roles have earned him Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. In 2011, his good looks, piercing blue eyes and winning smile earned him People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” honor. Read on to find out more about Bradley Cooper, and keep an eye out for part two of our list.
Number Fifteen: His Master’s Thesis Performance Was The Elephant Man. Finishing up his Master’s Degree at The Actor’s Studio Drama School, then part of New School University, Bradley Cooper decided to perform his thesis as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, since the 1980 movie was the reason he wanted to be an actor. Things would come full circle for him when he performed the part on Broadway in 2014. The Broadway run earned him a Tony nomination.
Number Fourteen: He is the First Actors Studio Alumnus to be Interviewed on the Show. Graduating from the program in 2000, Bradley Cooper was interviewed on Inside the Actors Studio in 2011 after filming Limitless. While attending The New School, he sat in the audience of a few tapings of the show and asked questions of both Robert De Niro and Sean Penn.
Number Thirteen: He Has Acts Opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro Yearly. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have acted in one film a year together from 2012 through 2015: Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013), Serena (2014) and Joy (2015). Similarly, Cooper and De Niro acted in one film a year together from 2011 through 2013: Limitless (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013).
Number Twelve: He Has Worked with David O. Russell Three Times as Well. Cooper has starred in three of Russell’s movies: 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook, 2013’s American Hustle and 2015’s Joy. His roles in Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle earned him his first two Academy Award nominations.
Number Eleven: He Likes to Play Bad Boy Chefs. In 2005, Cooper starred in the short-lived FOX TV show Kitchen Confidential, about a bad boy chef looking to start fresh. He would undertake a similar role ten years later in 2015’s Burnt.
Number Ten: He Likes to Cook. The reason Cooper took these chef roles is because he likes to cook. He grew up watching his grandmother and help her make pasta.
Number Nine: He Doesn’t Drink. Another thing he has in common with these chef characters is his past hard-partying life. After spending the night in a hospital once after drunk-bashing his head into a concrete floor, he took a look at where his life was going. He has not had any alcohol since he was 29 and feels that if he does, he would be “sabotaging” himself. Look out for part two of our list of 15 interesting facts about Bradley Cooper, coming soon.