A remake of the 1937 movie of the same name, Cooper plays the lead role of Jackson Maine, who becomes a mentor for up-and…
A remake of the 1937 movie of the same name, Cooper plays the lead role of Jackson Maine, who becomes a mentor for up-and-coming vocalist Ally, played by Lady Gaga. But Cooper was originally pitched the movie in 2013 by Clint Eastwood and he turned it down.
Cooper’s character was different in Eastwood’s imagining of the film and that led Cooper to think that he was too young for the character.
“I was 38 when Clint brought it to my attention, it was a different character but we talked about it and I just knew I was too young. I felt I hadn’t lived enough. Deep down I knew I would’ve had to really act, a lot.”
But in the end, Cooper took on the role in a film he had many different responsibilities with, making his directorial debut in the film, along with co-writing the script for this version, shaping his character in every way.
Director, Bradley Cooper on the red carpet at #TIFF18 for #AStarIsBorn . pic.twitter.com/so7Y3eyE4R
— A Star Is Born (@starisbornmovie) September 10,2018
Cooper says that his character is “nothing like me in a lot of ways” but drew on his experience with addiction, now clean and sober for over 14 years, with that experience allowing him to shape the character and really explore the themes of the film.
Personal experiences were exactly what Cooper was looking to put into the screenplay, those that he felt personally invested in. That led to plenty of discussions early on with his fellow screenwriter Eric Roth, with Cooper saying he only wanted to write a movie that he’d go to watch.
In allowing himself to mature, Cooper has been able to take a bigger hand in the film, which is undeniably his film, having spent several months working on the movie before beginning filming. Using his own life experience, Cooper’s decision looks to have been the correct one.
