Bradley Cooper talks about his addiction. (Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)
Bradley Cooper revealed a particularly important conversation he had years ago with his actor friend Will Arnett when he appeared on Monday in an episode of Wondery’s SmartLess podcast, hosted by Arnett and two of their friends and fellow actors, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. .
Cooper explained that this happened in 2004, when he lived next to the former star of “Arrested Development”, whose sarcastic sense of humor he always tried to emulate. They had gone to dinner with another friend the night before, and Arnett asked Cooper how he thought the night was. Cooper remembers feeling great about it, especially since he was so funny at the time — at least in his own mind — but Arnett’s view was very different. He told Cooper, “You were a real bastard,” and he warned him not to take his dogs for a walk. It was 4 pm and the dogs were standing by the door.
“And that was the first time I realized I had a drug and alcohol problem,” Cooper said. “And Will told me that and I’ll just never forget it.”
In addition to realizing his addictions, Cooper said it forced him to see that this fake, distant person he tried to put up was not working. He understood that it was all about his lack of confidence and his attempts to fit in.
“I was so lost,” he said. “I was so lost and addicted to cocaine – that was the other thing.”
To make matters worse, he had torn his Achilles tendon after, in his words, “received a dismissal-sloping line-left a pseudonym” in 2003.
Cooper had moved to Los Angeles for his role in ABC’s Jennifer Garner drama and felt like “back in high school.” I couldn’t go to any club, no girl really wanted to watch me. totally depressed. “
So, yes, he struggled. The advantage is that by the time he starred in the hit The Hangover in 2009 – he was 36 at the time – he had already experienced the clichéd experiences of people who finally succeeded in the entertainment industry.
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“But Will is the reason,” Cooper said, “he took that risk of having this difficult conversation with me in July 2004, which put me on the path to deciding to change my life.”
Bateman asked how fatherhood has changed Cooper, who shares his 5-year-old daughter Leah with his ex-partner, model Irina Sheik.
“Everything is completely overshadowed or embellished in great color by the fact that I am becoming the father of a wonderful human being,” said Cooper, whose latest project is directing and starring in the Maestro, in which he plays the late composer Leonard Bernstein. “You have this wonderful thing or a breakthrough with a script, or you have a wonderful moment on the set or in the editing room… you have about 40 of these moments every day with your child, this is the level of joy. It’s not spinning, it’s just the truth. “
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