Bradley Cooper isn’t a fan of statements about his personal life, except for one thing: For years he’s been open about his addiction problems and how he overcame them. The actor has once again opened up about his years of sobriety, and this time he did it in the snowy canyons of Wyoming. In a recent episode of National Geographic’s Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, he told his host how his 19 years without alcohol helped bring some of his most influential roles to life, most notably in the film A Girl Is “. Born. Star (2018), for which he was nominated for an Oscar.
The British adventurer asked Cooper (Pennsylvania, USA, 48 years old) which roles he found most impressive. “The hangover was an important moment in my career. “I was 36 when it came out and I was pretty seasoned, so I didn’t get lost in all the fame,” Cooper replied. Her response sparks a conversation about her past substance abuse issues. “You definitely had some crazy years,” Grylls said, to which the American actor replied, “In terms of alcohol and drugs, yes.” But that had nothing to do with fame.
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Cooper then confesses that his addiction to alcohol and drugs and how he overcame them helped him land his character in A Star Is Born, a film he directed, alongside Lady Gaga starred in it and earned him eight nominations. Oscar. In the film he plays Jackson Maine, an alcoholic rocker. “It eased my transition into this role,” he says on the show, “and thank God I was at a point in my life where I’d gotten over all those issues so I could just let go.” He also admits that he is very fortunate to have overcome his problems at such a young age. “I got sober when I was 29 and have been for 19 years. I was very lucky,” he concludes. Speaking about his career, the actor admits, “I’ve been very lucky with the roles I’ve played. It was a blessing. I hope I can continue with that.”
It’s not the first time the actor – who has helped fellow professionals like Ben Affleck and Brad Pitt with their addiction problems in the past – has opened up about his past dealings with substances. In an episode of the Smartless podcast that aired last year, Cooper also opened up about his cocaine addiction and the obstacles he faced early in his career. The show’s producers, along with actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, good friends of The Sniper’s singer, asked him how he managed to escape the drug trail he embarked on when he was 20. Around that time, the star revealed, “I was feeling very lost and addicted to cocaine.” As he said, it was a candid conversation with Arnett in 2004 that put him “on the path of life change.” Arnett, a comedian best known for voice of the protagonist of the animated series Bojack Horseman, recalled that moment: “I loved you very much and I wanted you to be okay, and I knew you weren’t .” I feel comfortable with all of this.
Bradley Cooper is one of the many celebrities who have appeared on the Bear Grylls shows, shows in which they tell him some of their most intimate moments while going on adventures that bring them to the brink of the abyss. The ‘Last Survivor’ star has also taken international stars like Zac Efron, Ben Stiller, Channing Tatum and Lena Headey on his wild excursions. He even hosted Barack Obama when he was President of the United States, and his programs are a perfect setting for frank conversations with celebrities. Actress Lena Headey, who plays Cersei in Game of Thrones, admitted she thinks she’s a “pretty disastrous” person while appearing on Celebs in Danger with Bear Grylls and opened up about her battle with depression . She praised her honesty about her issues, responding, “There are certain things you can talk about and there are certain things no one wants to talk about.” I feel like if you don’t share and you don’t connect , then you create more isolation, and that’s a very bad thing for all of us.”