Current:Home > MyBradley Cooper Reveals Why There's "No Chairs" on Set When He's Directing-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Bradley Cooper Reveals Why There's "No Chairs" on Set When He's Directing
View Date:2025-01-12 11:25:23
Bradley Cooper might be a director, but you won't see that printed on a chair.
The Hangover actor recently gave insight into his filmmaking process on set, sharing how it shifts when he's taking on both acting and directing duties.
"When I direct, I don't watch playback," Bradley told Spike Lee on Variety's Dec. 14 episode of its Directors on Directors. "There's no chairs. I've always hated chairs on sets, your energy dips the minute you sit down in a chair."
But he stressed that while it's his preference, when he's on other directors' sets, he always follows their lead. "I'll do whatever you say," Bradley explained to the BlacKkKlansman filmmaker. "I'm your actor."
In fact, it was his decades as an actor that Bradley, who starred in and directed Netflix's Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, credits with shaping his creative process.
"I was a filmmaker, but I was in the position of an actor," he noted. "I learned how to help the director by being on the field. For me, it was such a natural transition, once I had the courage to write and direct a movie. Being on the field is where I feel most comfortable to direct."
And it's that experience that the Silver Linings Playbook star draws upon when creating a comfortable environment for his actors—including rewatching scenes without sound while filming.
"No one likes the sound of their voice," Bradley shared. "I want to make actors feel safe to be fearless and for me, I don't need to hear it. It's all about making sure the camera move was exactly what we had set up."
In making his transition to directing, the Oscar nominee emphasized how grateful he is for the directors who took him under their wing.
"I spent 20 years acting in movies," he reflected. "I was lucky enough that I had filmmakers who recognized that I don't think like an actor—that I actually think in terms of the whole story."
Ultimately, that passion for storytelling led him to his directorial debut with A Star is Born.
"There were things I wanted to talk about in a movie," he told E! News in 2018. "And I wanted to have a point of view about trauma as a child, family, what it means to find your voice in this world and a place to say it. And also at the end of the day, what I hope the major message, if there is one, is that we all need each other."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (29)
Related
- Where is 'College GameDay' for Week 12? Location, what to know for ESPN show
- Biden hosts the Angolan president in an effort to showcase strengthened ties, as Africa visit slips
- Lead water pipes still pose a health risk across America. The EPA wants to remove them all
- Jill Biden unveils White House ice rink
- Justine Bateman feels like she can breathe again in 'new era' after Trump win
- City Council in Portland, Oregon, approves $2.6M for police body cameras
- Florida man turns $20 bill into nearly $4 million after winning Gold Rush lottery game
- Kari Lake loses suit to see ballot envelopes in 3rd trial tied to Arizona election defeat
- Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures
- Live updates | Temporary cease-fire expires; Israel-Hamas war resumes
Ranking
- The results are in: Peanut the Squirrel did not have rabies, county official says
- Okta says security breach disclosed in October was way worse than first thought
- Why do millennials know so much about personal finance? (Hint: Ask their parents.)
- With fragile cease-fire in place, peacemakers hope Hamas-Israel truce previews war's endgame
- Can't afford a home? Why becoming a landlord might be the best way to 'house hack.'
- Pressure builds to eliminate fossil fuel use as oil executive, under fire, takes over climate talks
- Okta says security breach disclosed in October was way worse than first thought
- Senate Judiciary Committee authorizes subpoenas for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo in Supreme Court ethics probe
Recommendation
-
‘I got my life back.’ Veterans with PTSD making progress thanks to service dog program
-
Elon Musk says advertiser boycott at X could kill the company
-
The Golden Bachelor Finale: Find Out If Gerry Turner Got Engaged
-
Simone Biles’ Holiday Collection Is a Reminder To Take Care of Yourself and Find Balance
-
Ex-Marine misused a combat technique in fatal chokehold of NYC subway rider, trainer testifies
-
Top general launches investigation into allegations of alcohol consumption at key commands
-
University of Minnesota Duluth senior defensive lineman dies of genetic heart condition
-
Why do millennials know so much about personal finance? (Hint: Ask their parents.)