The Most Uncomfortable Things Bradley Cooper Has Said & Done During His Oscar Campaign
Bradley Cooper made waves with his portrayal of the late composer Leonard Bernstein in the 2023 film "Maestro," a project he also produced, directed, and co-wrote. During a Q&A at a screening event in New York, the star shared that he spent six years preparing for a single six-minute scene in the movie, as reported by IndieWire. "That scene, I was so worried about because we did it live," Cooper said. "That was the London Symphony Orchestra. I was recorded live; I had to conduct them," he explained.
"Maestro" garnered seven Oscar nominations in 2024, including nods for Best Picture and Best Actor, recognizing Cooper's efforts. However, as the actor embarked on his Oscar campaign to promote the film, he said and did a few uncomfortable things, to say the least. From nearly breaking into tears while talking about the late Bernstein, despite never having met him, to publicly admitting that he didn't feel a strong bond with his child until she was nearly a year old, Cooper's usually private persona got lost somewhere along the way.
Notably, Cooper also left everyone annoyed at the 2024 Golden Globes due to his alleged dislike for "Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy, who won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor, a category Cooper was also running for. Despite "Maestro" receiving four nominations, Cooper left empty-handed, prompting social media users to troll him. Nonetheless, that clearly didn't deter Cooper from having a number of awkwardly uncomfortable public moments during his Oscar campaign.
He choked up when speaking about missing Leonard Bernstein despite never meeting him
Undoubtedly, one of the most uncomfortable things Bradley Cooper has done during his 2024 Oscar campaign was nearly cry over the late conductor Leonard Bernstein, whom he had never met.
In December 2023, Cooper appeared on "CBS Sunday Morning" to discuss "Maestro" and his 2024 Oscar nomination for Best Actor. However, the conversation took a poignant turn when Cooper became emotional while reminiscing about Bernstein. When one of Bernstein's children, also present during the interview, asked if Cooper missed their father, the actor struggled to hold back tears, saying, "Oh, yeah, man." When asked what specifically he missed about the late composer, Cooper responded, "It's hard to talk about. I don't know. We shared something very special, the four of us," referring to Bernstein's children. He continued, "It's hard to even articulate, but he was with me, certainly, throughout the entire time. His energy has somehow found its way to me, and I really do feel like I know him."
Social media users couldn't help but get the ick from Cooper's reaction, with one TikTok user remarking, "That's a bit insane." Another person said, "This was a better performance than the actual film." Notably, Bernstein died in 1990, and Cooper's first-ever acting gig was in "Sex and the City" in 1999, meaning their paths wouldn't have crossed even if "Maestro" had been filmed decades earlier.
The actor admitted he wasn't sure he loved his daughter at first
Another one of Bradley Cooper's most eyebrow-raising moments during his 2024 Oscar campaign was when he publicly said he wasn't sure he loved his daughter during the first eight months of her life. Cooper welcomed Lea De Seine with his former girlfriend, supermodel Irina Shayk, in 2017.
During an appearance on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast in February 2024, Cooper opened up about his first time being a parent, leaving many in disbelief. "If I'm being honest, the first eight months, I'm like, 'I don't even know if I really love the kid,'" Cooper reflected on his early experience as a dad, continuing, "I'm watching this thing morph. [I'm] fascinated by it. Love taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun?" "Armchair Expert" co-host Monica Padman praised his honesty, and while it may be common to feel disconnected from your child, especially as a father figure, addressing your child as "it" did come off as insensitive.
Despite his initial uncertainty, Cooper emphasized that his love for his daughter grew over time. The "Hangover" star also highlighted his commitment to being a better person for his daughter's sake, noting, "I'm not sure I'd be alive if I wasn't a dad," referring to Lea being a grounding force in his life.
Cooper shared his odd parenting style, including nudity and toilet conversations
Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast featured more controversial revelations from Bradley Cooper, who shared his belief that there's nothing inappropriate about being naked at home around his child, Lea De Seine. Shepard kicked off the discussion by mentioning that he and his wife, actor Kristen Bell, frequently go nude in their home, prompting Cooper to admit that he also adopts a clothes-free approach. "Me, too," Cooper responded, adding, "And by the way, I was like that. Not with my mom, but with my dad. My dad was always nude. [I] always took showers with him."
Cooper revealed further unconventional aspects of his parenting style, sharing that his open-floor apartment means that he often has toilet conversations with his daughter. "The bathtub, toilet, and bed are all in the same room. It's 24/7, dude. There are no doors," he detailed the intimate layout of his bedroom. When asked whether Lea found that odd, Cooper explained that their go-to routine is to talk it all out while he's using the toilet and Lea is in the bathtub. While Cooper's father fostered a comfort with nudity in him, the actor admitted that, unlike his own practice with his daughter, he never witnessed his father using the toilet.