Bradley Cooper who is currently regarded as a handsome man was not always like this in the past. Starting with famous movies like A Star is Born, Maestro Cooper now takes on more complex and philosophical roles. Of course, before he could take on the artistic roles that this silver-haired, mild-mannered man was capable of, he had to enjoy playing a typical Hollywood jerk with attitude for several seasons.
But Cooper never believed he could get the role in The Hangover, a film that proved to be a turning point in Cooper’s acting career. Although Cooper was confined to dramatic roles before The Hangover, the film brought out Cooper’s comedic side and helped him transform from a comedian to an actor capable of doing both comedy and drama.
He played Phil, a bossy but greedy guy on the outside but a very good guy at heart. Cooper proved he could play normal people and layered characters in this role, which led to roles in films like Silver Linings Playbook and the Guardians of the Galaxy series.
Bradley Cooper’s Hangover journey: Doubts, delays and a career-defining role
Still, landing the role in The Hangover was not easy for Cooper. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2013, Cooper said he doubted whether he would get the role. Speaking to reporters, he said the following; “I really thought I would never be given the role.” His reasoning for this was partly based on the fact that he saw the film’s director, Phillips, as ‘kind of an alpha, really nice guy’, and would, therefore, naturally prefer a bigger name for such a role. Cooper was not a major actor at the time, and Phillips’ recently released films had not sold well. Cooper hoped Phillips would prefer a familiar face to market an original film like The Hangover.
Cooper heard nothing further and so after four months of waiting for a favorable response, he felt it was too late. Still, despite his initial doubts, Cooper’s performance in “The Hangover” ultimately became a turning point in his career, proving he could take on more substantial and sympathetic roles.
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Bradley Cooper’s rollercoaster ride leading up to Hangover 3: from budget issues to Todd Phillips’ surprising message
Another reason Bradley Cooper gave for not doing the project was when he tried to meet with director Todd Phillips but was told some disappointing things. Cooper said he made inquiries and was told that ‘yes, there are budget issues; they will need a name’. However, these concerns were far from the truth. Cooper loved Phillips more than he knew. Phillips was always in touch with Cooper and when the production finally had a budget, even though it was less than previous estimates, he contacted Cooper again and offered him the role.
Cooper recalled the moment he got the news, “I’m doing a play in Williamstown (Massachusetts), trying to think of what I’m going to do with my life. And I’m sitting in the apartment in between matinees, and I get a message (from Phillips): ‘Are we going to do this?’ I said: ‘I haven’t talked to you in four months! Are you serious?’ (Phillips) said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to make “The Hangover.”‘”
From box office hit to Hangover 4: Bradley Cooper ready for even more laughs
The Hangover was a success with critics and was well received at the box office, grossing $469 million while the film only grossed $35 million. The film was followed by two sequels that were equally popular, but it was this film that gave Todd Phillips more funding for his projects. In addition, it established Bradley Cooper as a new Hollywood star that people couldn’t ignore. Since 2009, Cooper has had plenty of movies to do and he wouldn’t mind doing another Hangover film series again.
“I would probably do Hangover 4 right away, yes,” he told The New Yorker last year. “Just because I love Todd, Zack (Galifianakis) and Ed (Helms) so much.”
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