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Why Bradley Cooper Didn't Expect To Be Cast In The Hangover? Actor Reveals
This movie proved he could handle the more sympathetic big roles he played in Silver Linings Playbook or even the Guardians of the Galaxy films. He just needed to get hired for The Hangover first.
Bradley Cooper who is currently regarded as a handsome man had not always been the case in the past. Starting from such recognized movies as A Star is Born, Maestro Cooper now explores more complex and rather philosophical roles. Of course, before he could do those artsy roles that this silver-haired, mild-mannered man was capable of, he had to enjoy several seasons of playing the quintessential Hollywood jerk with an attitude.
But Cooper never believed that he could get a role in The Hangover, a movie, that played a turning point in Cooper’s acting career. However, before The Hangover, Cooper was typecasted in dramatic roles, but this movie revealed Cooper's comedy side and helped him transition to becoming a comedian turned actor capable of doing both comedy and drama.
He portrayed Phil who was predominate but greedy on the outside but was a very good person at heart. Cooper proved he could do everyday people and characters with layers in this role, which led to his roles in movies like Silver Linings Playbook and the Guardians of the Galaxy series.
Bradley Cooper's Hangover journey: Doubts, delays, and a career-defining role
Nonetheless, securing a spot in the Hangover was not a walk in the park for Cooper. During the interview with Hollywood reporter in 2013 Cooper said that he had doubted whether he would get the part. Speaking to reporters he said the following; “I actually thought that there was no way in hell I would be given this role.” His rationale for it was partly based on how he saw Phillips, the director of the movie as a ‘sort-of-alpha, really cool guy,’ and therefore, would naturally prefer a bigger name for such a part. At that time Cooper was not a major actor and Phillips movies released recently did not enjoy good sales. Cooper expected Phillips to prefer a familiar face to market an original picture like The Hangover would require.
Cooper did not hear anything more and so after four months of waiting for a favorable answer, he thought it was too late for him. Yet, despite his initial doubts, Cooper's performance in "The Hangover" ultimately became a turning point in his career, proving he could handle more significant and sympathetic roles.
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Bradley Cooper's rollercoaster ride to Hangover 3: From budget woes to a surprise text from Todd Phillips
The second reason Bradley Cooper decided not to go through with the project was when he sought to meet the director, Todd Phillips but was told some discouraging things. Cooper said that he had checked in and was told ‘Yeah, budgetary problems; they are going to need a name’. However, these concerns are far from the truth Cooper was more likeable to Phillips than he knew. Phillips was ever in touch with Cooper and when at last the production had a budget despite it being a toned-down version from a previous estimate he contacted Cooper again and offered him the part.
Cooper recounted the moment he got the news, "I'm doing a play in Williamstown [Mass.], trying to figure out what the f*** I'm going to do with my life. And I'm sitting there in the apartment in between matinees, and I get a text [from Phillips]: 'Are we going to f***ing do this?' I was like: 'I haven't heard from you in f***ing four months! Are you serious?' [Phillips was] like, 'Yeah, we're going to make "The Hangover.'"
From box office hit to Hangover 4: Bradley Cooper ready for more laughs
The Hangover was a critical success and was appreciated at the box office, earning 469 million USD while making just 35 million USD. The movie was followed by two sequels that were equally popular, but the very movie helped Todd Phillips to have more funding opportunities for his projects easily. In addition, it even established Bradley Cooper as the new star of Hollywood which people could not ignore. Since 2009, Cooper has plenty more films to do and again he wouldn’t mind doing a film in The Hangover series.
"I would do probably Hangover 4 in an instant, yeah," he told The New Yorker last year. "Just because I love Todd, I love Zach [Galifianakis], I love Ed [Helms] so much."
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