Bradley Cooper is an American actor and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, having appeared in some of the most successful films of the new millennium. When Bradley Cooper was in high school, he had an interest in journalism and even worked for one of the evening papers in his hometown of Philadelphia; nevertheless, by the time he entered university, he had developed a taste for the stage. He opted to get schooled in the art of acting after discovering that he had a natural affinity for the stage, and he hasn’t looked back since. Cooper has established himself as a well-known actor who has been in films, television series, and on stage. Cooper rose to stardom in 2005 after starring in the film ‘Wedding Crashers,’ and his career has been on a steady upward trajectory since then, with hits like the ‘Hangover’ franchise and ‘American Hustle,’ among others. In 2014, he starred in the highly lauded and harshly panned film American Sniper, for which he received acclaim from reviewers as well as moviegoers who saw Cooper in such a demanding role for the first time.
Childhood and Adolescence
Bradley Cooper was born on January 5, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Charles Cooper and Gloria Campano. Cooper’s father worked for Merill Lynch, an investment bank, while his mother worked for NBC radio. Cooper is the youngest of two siblings, the older of whom is his older sister Holly.
Bradley Cooper graduated from the prestigious Germantown Academy in Philadelphia at the age of 18 in 1993. Cooper was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities during his tenure at the school, and he is best recognized for his involvement with the Philadelphia Evening News while a student.
Bradley Cooper began his education at Vilanova University in 1993, but later transferred to Georgetown University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English with honors. He began pursuing acting seriously and became a member of a theatre group while attending Georgetown University.
Bradley Cooper decided to pursue a career in acting and enrolled at New York City’s Actors Studio Drama School. In the year 2000, he received his Master of Fine Arts in acting. The degree provided him with a good foundation in the various aspects of acting.
Career of Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper’s first professional acting role was in a guest appearance on the hugely popular show ‘Sex and the City’ in 1999, but it got him noticed, and he went on to appear in a number of other television shows over the next few years, including ‘Globe Trekker,’ ‘Jack & Bobby,’ ‘Nip/Tuck,’ and others before becoming a household name.
Cooper’s first break in the movies came in 2001, when he acted in the comedy picture ‘Wet Hot American Summer,’ which is considered a classic by many. However, it wasn’t until four years later, when he starred in the film ‘Wedding Crashers,’ in which he played Sack Lodge, that he became a household name in Hollywood.
Bradley Cooper began working on the TV show ‘Kitchen Confidential’ in 2005, which was based on the life of a celebrity chef, but FOX cancelled the series after only a few episodes. Cooper devoted a significant portion of his time to theatre the following year, appearing in prominent roles in plays such as “Three Days of Rain” and “The Understudy.” The year 2009 was a watershed moment in Bradley Cooper’s career since he not only landed important roles in four different films, but one of them, ‘The Hangover,’ went on to become a box office juggernaut, grossing $467 million. Two years later, he starred in ‘The Hangover Part II,’ a hugely popular sequel to The Hangover,’ as well as the thriller ‘Limitless.’ Bradley Cooper had another successful year in 2012, starring in critically acclaimed films such as ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘The Words,’ and thriller ‘The Place Beyond the Pines.’ He was nominated for Best Supporting Portrayal at the Academy Awards for his role as an FBI agent in the multi-starrer mega-budget thriller ‘American Hustle’ a year later. Cooper appeared in two of his most well-known films in 2014, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘American Sniper,’ the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He was also a busy actor in the Broadway theatre industry during this time.
Bradley’s three films, Aloha, Burnt, and Joy, were released in 2015, however none of them were box office hits.
In 2016, he appeared in the film ‘War Dogs’ as a supporting character and had a voice appearance in the horror film 10 Cloverfield Lane. He voiced Rocket Raccoon in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ in 2017. In 2018, he participated in Clint Eastwood’s criminal drama ‘The Mule’ and reprised his role as Rocket Raccoon in the film ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ Bradley Cooper directed his first picture, “A Star Is Born,” in 2018. He and Lady Gaga starred in the film, which was a remake of the 1937 musical film of the same name. Cooper and Gaga co-wrote and produced the majority of the songs on the film’s soundtrack. Cooper got multiple accolades and nominations for the picture, which was a great smash.
Major Works of Bradley Cooper
‘The Hangover,’ which grossed $467 million at the box office, was one of his most successful pictures. Brad Cooper’s performance in the film ‘American Hustle’ was praised so much that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Role.
Personal & Family Life
Bradley Cooper married Jennifer Esposito, an actress, in December 2006. Their marriage, however, was short-lived, as they divorced in November 2007.
He was in a relationship with actress Zoe Saldana from December 2011 to January 2013. Following that, he was in a relationship with English model Suki Waterhouse from March 2013 to March 2015.
Cooper began dating Russian model Irina Shayk in April 2013. Cooper and Shayk had their first child in March 2017.
Bradley Cooper’s father, Charles Cooper, died of lung cancer in 2011.
Estimated Net Worth
Bradley Cooper has a net worth of $100 million dollars.
Trivia
He was crowned the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 2011, and he consistently ranks among the best-looking men in the world in practically all magazines.