Bradley Cooper has revealed that he is ânot sureâ whether he would still be alive if it were not for his six-year-old daughter, Lea.
In an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast, he suggested that the arrival of his daughter gave him the grounding to realise that he needed to slow down.
âI just needed someone to say, like, âWeâre gonna drop this massive anchor,ââ Cooper said. âIâm like, âWhy? Weâre speeding! I just got an upgrade on the boat, and I know where the windâs coming in.â Theyâre like, âNo, no, no, thereâs a tsunami coming in, and you need an anchor and weâre gonna drop it.â Because this is gonna dictate everything you do from now on. Your DNA is going to tell you that thereâs something more important than you.â
In the past, Cooper has been open about his struggles with addiction, although it is thought he has been sober for many years.
Lea was born to Cooper and his then-girlfriend Irina Shayk in March 2017. The two were a couple from 2015 to 2019.
In 2021, the actor also recalled an âinsaneâ moment when he was held at knifepoint while picking his daughter up from school in New York City.
âIt was pretty insane. I realised I had gotten way, way too comfortable in the city. My guard was down ⦠I was all the way at the end of the subway,â he said. In the end, Cooper managed to escape by jumping over a nearby turnstile and hiding.
Cooper recently starred and directed the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. He has said that he directed the film in character as the late conductor, having been inspired by Christian Baleâs method in 2013âs American Hustle.
He also faced controversy around his decision to wear a prosthetic nose while playing Bernstein.
âThe truth is Iâve done this whole project out of love, and itâs so clear to me where I come from with this,â Cooper said in response. âMy nose is very similar to Lennyâs actually, so the prosthetic is actually like a silk sheet.
âAnd I thought, âMaybe we donât need to do it,â because itâs all about time of prep. But itâs all about balance, and, my lips are nothing like Lennyâs, and my chin. And so we had that, and it just didnât look right [without the prosthetic].â
Cooper also recently revealed that he considered Adele for the lead role in A Star Is Born, the 2018 film that marked his directorial debut. The role eventually went to Lady Gaga, but Cooper confirmed, âI thought about Adele for a while,â he said, before continuing that those plans ânever even took off at allâ.
It is also known that Beyoncé had been given the role but later had to drop out. âShe was incredible. And we went down the road and then it didnât work out. I remember I was so nervous,” Cooper said. Jack White was also considered for Cooperâs own role at one stage.