Actor Bradley Cooper is a well-established superstar who has consistently managed to captivate the audience with his versatile talent and charismatic on-screen presence. The actor entered the industry in 2001 and after 20 years, he decided to leave that life behind, however, he changed his mind in 2021 after he got an offer from this famous director.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson called Cooper and convinced him to star in his 2021 movie, Licorice Pizza. During the production, Cooper learned a lot of things and the experience was so good he decided to postpone his retirement. Cooper’s talent is unmatched, the actor is not only known for his acting, but also for his direction.
Paul Thomas Anderson brought Bradley Cooper out of retirement
In 2022, actors Bradley Cooper and Mahershala Ali sat down for a virtual chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors. During the interview, Cooper revealed that he almost retired from acting but then he got a call from Anderson.
“The reason that I didn’t give up acting is Paul Thomas Anderson. When he called me to, maybe, be in his movie, Mahershala, I mean really, I think I’d open up a door in his movie. I’d do anything.”
Set in the 1970s, Licorice Pizza follows the relationship between a teen actor, Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), and a directionless young woman, Alana Kane (Alana Haim). The film’s quirky humor, unique characters, and remarkable cinematography were a delight to watch. In the movie, Cooper plays a famous real-life producer, Jon Peters, who’s dating Barabara Streisand and buys a waterbed from Gary Valentine.
Bradley Cooper learned a lot on the sets
Further in the interview, Cooper revealed that Paul Thomas Anderson taught him a lot about filmmaking on the sets of Licorice Pizza,
“I watched all the camera tests. He was teaching me all about lenses, things I never knew.”
Looking back at it, the film was a box-office bomb, grossing $33 million worldwide against a $40 million production budget but it was a unique experience for Cooper and that’s why it will always be a memorable film for him. Shortly after Licorice Pizza, Cooper returned to work on Nightmare Alley (2021).
Although Licorice Pizza had a terrible box office run, it managed to garner several prestigious awards and nominations. The film received three nominations at the 94th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay and four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards. Anderson won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Source: Variety
