Bradley Cooper may have only directed two films, but he already knows how to exact his “vision” as a filmmaker.
The “Maestro” helmer revealed during Variety’s Directors on Directors in discussion with auteur Spike Lee that he does not allow chairs on the set of his films. Cooper directed “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro” to date, with the actor spending six years crafting Leonard Bernstein ode “Maestro” on which he served as co-writer, director, producer, and lead star.
“I spent 20 years acting in movies. I was lucky enough that I had filmmakers who recognized that I don’t think like an actor — that I actually think in terms of the whole story. They were generous enough to allow me to come with them on their journey,” Cooper said. “I was in one role for so many years, [but in fact] I was a sort of quarterback, really getting to know the plays and reading defense. […] I was a filmmaker, but I was in the position of an actor.”
He continued, “For me, it was such a natural transition, once I had the courage to write and direct a movie. But when I direct, I don’t watch playback. There’s no chairs. I’ve always hated chairs on sets; your energy dips the minute you sit down in a chair. There’s no video village.”
IndieWire has reached out to Cooper’s representatives for further comment.
As for “Maestro,” Cooper said, “I executed exactly my vision. And that was the result of just having so much time to think and write and prepare to act in this movie.”
Cooper reflected on how his approach to acting changed after starring in David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” alongside Christian Bale, now weaving in Method techniques into his own performance as Bernstein.
“‘American Hustle’ was the first time I saw an actor stay in the voice of a character. It was Christian Bale,” Cooper said. “I had heard stories about Daniel Day-Lewis. I couldn’t figure out how someone could do that. Then I realized I was overthinking it. Christian just stayed in the voice, but we talked about his kids. It wasn’t like he saw an iPhone and had a heart attack. Ever since ‘American Hustle,’ that’s how I’ve done it as an actor.”
