Initially, Cooper’s family wanted him to pursue finance and was against his idea of acting
January 5th marks the birthday of Bradley Charles Cooper, one
of the most versatile actors from Hollywood to have graced the silver screen. This January, as the actor turns 51, we wish to celebrate his birthday by recalling the times when the actor worked in multiple professions before fully venturing into the world of cinema.
Despite having a huge fan following, many may not be aware of the actor’s life as a youngster who was as confused as you and I regarding his career but eventually found the correct calling, which made him the man he is today.
Nothing special about Bradley
As a child, Bradley himself admitted that there was nothing special about him. He once stated, “I never lived the life of 'Oh, you're so good-looking.' People thought I was a girl when I was little, because I looked like a girl – maybe because my mother would keep my hair really long.”
However, Bradley excelled in basketball and cooking. In fact, after kindergarten, his friends would visit him, and he would cook for them. Therefore, many thought Bradley would venture into cooking or even basketball, but neither happened.
A ninja
A little later, after kindergarten, as Bradley grew up, he considered joining the Valley Forge Military Academy, a school in Wayne, Pennsylvania, that follows the traditional military school format and specialises in student leadership. Bradley wanted to move to Japan to become a ninja after graduating from the Military Academy. However, when his father introduced him to the film The Elephant Man, he decided to pursue acting as a career.
Foray into television and cinema
Hailing from a non-acting family background, Cooper’s parents wanted him to pursue finance and were against his idea of pursuing acting. However, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with honours in 1997, Cooper got his first break on television in 1999’s S*x and the City, and in 2000, he became a television presenter on the tourism series Globe Trekker.
Interest in diplomacy
For a master's degree at the Actors Studio, Cooper even thought of pursuing a career in diplomacy. Fortunately, he was selected for the course by James Lipton, and Cooper went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the Actors Studio Drama School at The New School in New York City. The 51-year-old even got the opportunity to train with Elizabeth Kemp, which finally brought stability to his life, as he once described the training phase by stating, “I was never able to relax in my life before her.”
In 2001, Cooper made his cinematic debut with Wet Hot American Summer, and since then, he has never looked back. Be it the Hangover Trilogy, American Sniper, or Silver Linings Playbook, the actor has constantly evolved with versatile roles, proving he is a leading man in Hollywood.
As the actor turns 51 this year, we hope Cooper explores more challenging roles and continues to blow our minds with his impeccable acting skills.
