Bradley Cooper Talks Addiction and Coping With the Death of His Father in Vanity Fair


Germantown superstar Bradley Cooper graces the cover of the January issue of Vanity Fair. In the photo he’s shooting pool, starring straight into the camera as he stand over a cover line that reads “Bradley Cooper has balls!”

The interview, conducted by Buzz Bissinger, finds the actor talking about everything from addiction to coping with the loss of his father. Here are some excerpts:

On losing his father:

Losing someone close to me. Going through love and loss . . . knowing what’s important. … Realizing that the bottom line is that all I got is me, so it’s about time to stop trying to be something that I think you would want me to be. Or that would give me what I think I need. As you get older, thank God, your body deteriorates, but your soul sort of flourishes.

On bulking up for American Sniper—without the use of stimulants:

I did it naturally because I’ve been sober for 10 years and didn’t want to do anything. … I had a realistic conversation. Can I do this in three months naturally? Can I gain 30 pounds of fucking muscle? I didn’t know if I would be able to do it or not. Thank God—luckily—my fucking body reacted fast.

James Lipton on seeing Cooper’s star potential early on: 

Lipton, who was the dean of the Actors Studio Drama School in New York when Cooper attended, tells Bissinger he also saw that early promise. Lipton recalled that Cooper’s mother pulled him aside at one point and asked if he thought Cooper would be all right. “‘He’s going to go all the way,’ ” Lipton responded. “I never predicted that for any other student.”

Read a fuller synopsis of the article here. The January issue is available digitally on December 4th, and will be on newsstands December 9th. More info here.