The directors Bradley Cooper is forever inspired by: “There’s so many”
Hollywood seems to be fascinated, even more so today than previously, with the actor-turned-director. Many actors have tried, and quite a few have managed to make it—or at least a film or two. While a few have managed to make it successfully as a double hyphenate, more have fallen into one camp more than the other. When it comes to Bradley Cooper, the jury is still out.
After eight years of trying to make it as an actor, Cooper only got his breakthrough in 2009 as the lead in the beloved comedy The Hangover. Yet, in 15 years, he’s managed to not only become a successful actor, with 12 Academy Award nominations, but also a critically acclaimed director.
In 2018, Cooper made the risky decision to direct a third remake of the musical drama A Star is Born, knowing that it would make or break his potential career as a director. Despite dismay from those around him, he managed to pull off the remake with the help of co-star Lady Gaga. The duo even went on to win two Grammys for their singing performances.
And apparently, dramas about musical professional couples have become his blueprint for success, with his second directing credit coming in 2023 with Maestro. A biographical drama about the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre. After much critical success, it was routinely considered one of the best movies of the year.
It’s an incredible feat in such a short amount of time, but given the fact that Cooper was talking about his desire to direct all the way back in 2011, it’s not surprising he made the shift. Speaking to HeyUGuys, Cooper discussed how he would “retire absolutely” if given the opportunity to direct for a living.
He also shared his lofty list of directorial inspirations, including a few he’s been lucky enough to work with in the years following. “Oh there’s so many! Jonathan Glazer, Paul Thomas Anderson and Scorsese and Spielberg. Kathryn Bigelow’s great. Julian Schnabel’s fantastic, and Guillermo Del Toro’s great. I don’t have this idea of making just David Leen movies or something like that.”
Whether he’ll manage to reach the directorial heights of his heroes is still up for him to prove, but he’s certainly moving in the right direction. After all, his decision to direct A Star is Born was born out of a need for more film parts he actually wanted to play. After fun flicks like The Hangover and The A-Team, it seems directors had put Cooper in a box and weren’t reaching out to hire him. So he had to do it for himself.
Since then, he has managed to work with two of his inspirations. He played a small role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza and the leading man in Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. The former he credits with keeping him in the business and teaching him a thing or two about being behind the cameral; the latter he formed a close relationship with and managed to actually inspire. So, it’s clear that whether you’re a massive Bradley Cooper fan or not, the man has worked hard and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon, with news he’s planning a new production with Will Arnett and Emily Blunt in the near future.
