Bradley Cooper: In Maestro, I Felt Like A Magician

After spending his childhood worshiping Hollywood authors, Bradley Cooper began collaborating with them. From his debut in the series Sex and the City , Alias ​​and Nip/Tuck, to his roles in Wet Hot American Summer , Serial Noceurs or Very Bad Trip , our man has established himself as an authentic star, collaborating in particular with David O. Russell (Happiness Therapy, American Bluff) and Clint Eastwood (American Sniper), not forgetting his move to directing with the acclaimed A Star Is Born . This year, Maestro , his second feature film as director, earned him three Oscar nominations : best picture, best actor and best original screenplay. We are delighted to have been able to speak with him.

For A Star Is Born , I came across Annie Lennox who was singing on TV. I think it was for the Grammys. I was sitting next to Clint Eastwood at the Chateau Marmont, I saw Annie Lennox with the veins showing in her neck, and I thought there was no more poignant way to communicate what being human than singing live. Immediately, I turned to Clint and said, “We should do A Star Is Born , don’t you think?” » He had told me about this film project years earlier, and at this point it seemed like he had passed it on. Before that, I myself didn't feel quite ready.

But that night I dreamed about those opening ten minutes, and the next day I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I went to Warner Bros. and talked to Greg Silverman , who I had worked with on American Sniper , about it, and that's how it all started.

For Maestro, it was something that had worked with me since childhood: my passion for conducting. This magic of waving your hands to make music play for several people at once... I felt like a magician, and that always stayed with me. In the end, it was thanks to Steven Spielberg that this project came to fruition. Talking to him made me want to tell this story. Maestro was also born from the intoxication that the conversations between Felicia Montealegre and Leonard Bernstein gave me. Their relationship fascinated me.

And then there is this other film, a project that still intimidates me and whose idea came to me eight months ago, while I was brushing my teeth. I told myself that I was going to be 50 and I was still in good shape, and... If it ever came to fruition, that would be wonderful. As long as I remain open as a human being, I tell myself that there will always be a chance for such moments of inspiration to occur. To put it simply, they are completely random.

After spending all this time with Leonard Bernstein, is there another historical figure whose story you would like to tell?

I don't think about it that much. So the answer is no. [Laughs] But maybe tomorrow I'll hit myself and say, “Harry Truman! I want to tell the story of Harry Truman! »

From left Bradley Cooper in a Louis Vuitton Mens suit and Brioni shirt and tie Natalie Portman in a Rick Owens gown...

Bradley Cooper (in Louis Vuitton suit, Brioni shirt and tie), Natalie Portman (in Rick Owens dress, Jimmy Choo sandals, Mahnaz Collection earrings and Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet), Pedro Pascal (in Tom Ford suit, shirt and Charvet tie) and Colman Domingo (Alexander McQueen suit, Brioni shirt and Ralph Lauren Purple Label tie). PHOTOGRAPHY LANDON NORDEMAN; STYLING GEORGE CORTINA

You mentioned Steven Spielberg. As a director, it must be great to have him as a friend and mentor. What's the best advice he gave you?

His best advice is found in his films and in the way he works. He still has the curiosity of a child, which is no small feat for a man who revolutionized cinema. He is truly an extremely inspiring person. The most important thing he taught me was that it’s okay to maintain that childlike joy and curiosity. It's not cheesy at all. As artists, it is this curiosity that nourishes us.

Spielberg produced Maestro . Rumor has it that you have a joint film project with Frank Bullitt, Steve McQueen's former character.

This may be little more than a rumor. But at this stage, nothing is certain yet. If that ended up happening, frankly, I would consider myself the luckiest man alive. Acting in a Steven film would be quite an experience.

Talking about Steven Spielberg, Leonard Bernstein and Harry Truman brings to mind the notion of legacy, a subject carefully explored in Maestro, both from a personal and professional perspective. Now that you've finished this film, do you have a clearer idea of ​​what legacy you hope to leave behind?

I don't think about it too much, because in the end everything will turn to dust. That said, once you have children, it's nice to know that they will have these works to revisit when you are no longer here.

Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Pedro Pascal… the stars on the cover of the Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair

Maestro is also a love letter to New York , where you live with your family.

In many ways, my relationship to New York is similar to that of Leonard Bernstein. He went to Harvard, then to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He lived with Aaron Copland, got a job as an assistant at the New York Philharmonic, and moved upstairs to Carnegie Hall. It's as if New York had breathed life into him.

That's how I felt after growing up in Philadelphia, leaving Georgetown and never being in an environment where people were like-minded, where you could talk about movies for hours and not see the time passing. . New York inspired me a lot. At the time, Philip Seymour Hoffman was performing at LAByrinth Theater, and the Upright Citizens Brigade was skyrocketing with people like Amy Poehler, Matt Besser and Matt Walsh.

In a way, New York has always been a character in my life. And now I have the chance to live there. For better or worse, I wanted New York to play that same role for Leonard Bernstein. When they move to Fairfield to start a seemingly conventional family, their reality changes dramatically. I also wanted to show how a person's relationship with a city can evolve over time. Anyway, it's true that in this film, New York is almost a character in its own right. I've always had this feeling, and I'm far from the only one. You only need to live there for six months to consider yourself a New Yorker. It's surprising, isn't it? I don't know of any other city where so many people feel at home so quickly.

Tell me about your collaboration with cinematographer Matthew Libatique, and how you came to work together. We met on A Star Is Born , and we had an incredible experience. We quickly became friends. I was lucky enough that Mattie signed a long time before filming, which allowed me to be more daring from a cinematographic point of view.

In Maestro , our relationship allowed me to use more varied tools. The use of aspect ratio, color, depth, camera movements... In this film, all of this serves the story. In A Star Is Born , I wasn't bold enough. But thanks to Mattie... It's like anything else: when you're surrounded by people who believe in you and are willing to follow you no matter what, you're more willing to take risks.

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