Bradley Cooper always writes rejection letters to actors who fail his auditions.
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At The Hollywood Reporter's Directors' Roundtable, the Aftermath actor revealed that the rejection letter he received after attempting to appear in Michael Mann's 2009 film “Public Enemies” pushed him to pursue his dreams.
Because this letter had a significant influence on him, Bradley Cooper adopted the practice of filmmaking when he became a director on “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro.”
“I applied to Public Enemies years ago and didn’t get in. “I received a letter from Michael Mann that said, ‘Thanks for the audition, I see something in you.’ I kept that letter on my shelf for many years,” he explained to his fellow directors, including Michael Mann. “You never know what influence you have. That I have learned. I always write a letter to everyone who auditions. And that’s thanks to you,” he addressed the filmmaker.
Bradley Cooper didn't reveal what role he wanted to play in Michael Mann's crime film starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Billy Crudup.