Bradley Cooper

Biography:

Bradley Cooper was born on January 5, 1975, in Abington Township, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, and spent his childhood in nearby Jenkintown and Rydal. His mother, Gloria (née Campano), worked at KYW-TV, Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate, while his father, Charles Cooper, was a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch. Cooper’s father was of Irish heritage, and his mother was of Italian descent from Abruzzo and Naples. Raised Catholic, he has an older sister, Holly. Shortly after birth, Cooper developed cholesteatoma in his ear and later punctured his eardrum while diving.

As a child, Cooper described himself as unremarkable in appearance, often mistaken for a girl due to his long hair, which his mother kept for him. He enjoyed basketball and had a passion for cooking, often making meals for friends from whatever ingredients were available. Early ambitions included attending Valley Forge Military Academy and moving to Japan to become a ninja. His father introduced him to films like The Elephant Man, sparking Cooper’s interest in acting. Although his parents initially hoped he would pursue finance, they were won over by his performance as Joseph Merrick in a play excerpt.

Cooper attended Germantown Academy, where he worked at the Philadelphia Daily News. Describing himself as neither particularly smart nor popular, he graduated in 1993 and began his college education at Villanova University before transferring to Georgetown University. There, he majored in English, minored in French, joined the Georgetown Hoyas rowing team, acted with Nomadic Theatre, and became fluent in French while spending six months as an exchange student in Aix-en-Provence, France. His television debut came in Sex and the City (1999) with a brief appearance alongside Sarah Jessica Parker. He later appeared as a presenter on Globe Trekker and had a recurring role in the series The Street.

Initially considering a diplomatic career, Cooper was accepted into the master’s program at the Actors Studio Drama School at The New School in New York, earning an MFA in acting in 2000. He trained under Elizabeth Kemp, who helped him relax and shaped many of his performances. While studying, he worked as a doorman at the Morgans Hotel and participated in masterclasses with Robert De Niro and Sean Penn, later featured on Inside the Actors Studio.

Cooper missed his MFA graduation to film Wet Hot American Summer (2001), playing Ben, a counselor at a summer camp. Although the film initially failed commercially, it later gained a cult following, and Cooper reprised his role in the Netflix prequel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015). He gained further recognition in Alias (2001–2006) as Will Tippin, a local reporter and best friend to Jennifer Garner’s character. Frustrated by limited screen time, he requested his character be written off the show, shortly before suffering a torn Achilles tendon, which made him briefly consider leaving acting. During this period, he had minor roles in films and TV, including Changing Lanes (2002) and Miss Match (2003).

Cooper’s breakthrough came with Wedding Crashers (2005), in which he played the arrogant Sack Lodge. The film’s success helped redefine him from the “nice guy” image, grossing over $285 million worldwide. He starred in Kitchen Confidential (2005), which was canceled after four episodes, and performed on Broadway in Three Days of Rain (2006) alongside Julia Roberts and Paul Rudd. He appeared in several small film and TV roles, including Yes Man (2008), The Rocker (2008), and the horror film The Midnight Meat Train (2008).

In 2009, Cooper hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared in He’s Just Not That Into You before achieving widespread fame in The Hangover (2009), playing Phil Wenneck. The film became a commercial success, earning him awards and recognition as a leading actor. That year he also appeared in Case 39, All About Steve, and New York, I Love You, followed by ensemble roles in Valentine’s Day (2010) and The A-Team (2010).

In 2011, he starred in Limitless and The Hangover Part II, both commercially successful, and in 2012 appeared in The Words, Hit and Run, The Place Beyond the Pines, and Silver Linings Playbook, earning critical acclaim and multiple award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He continued with films like The Hangover Part III (2013), American Hustle (2013), Serena (2014), and voiced Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Cooper returned to Broadway in The Elephant Man (2014), earning a Tony nomination.

In 2014, Cooper starred in and co-produced American Sniper, portraying Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. He underwent extensive physical and vocal training for the role, receiving critical praise and an Academy Award nomination. His 2015 films—Aloha, Burnt, and Joy—performed poorly commercially. He voiced Rocket Raccoon again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

Cooper made his directorial debut with A Star Is Born (2018), co-starring Lady Gaga, performing extensive vocal and instrumental training, and co-writing the soundtrack. The film received critical acclaim and earned Cooper multiple award nominations, including Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. He reunited with Clint Eastwood in The Mule (2018) and co-produced Joker (2019), which grossed over $1 billion. He reprised his role as Rocket in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

In 2021, Cooper starred in Licorice Pizza and Nightmare Alley, receiving praise for his performances despite limited box office success. He continued voicing Rocket in Disney+ projects and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Cooper directed, produced, co-wrote, and starred in Maestro (2023), portraying Leonard Bernstein, earning critical acclaim and multiple award nominations, and won a Grammy for the soundtrack.

Upcoming projects include directing and appearing in Is This Thing On? (2025) and starring in a prequel to Ocean’s Eleven.

On the personal front, Cooper was briefly married to Jennifer Esposito in 2006, and has had relationships with Renée Zellweger, Zoe Saldaña, Suki Waterhouse, Irina Shayk—with whom he has a daughter, Lea de Seine (born 2017)—and is currently dating Gigi Hadid (since late 2023). After his father’s death in 2011, he moved to Los Angeles with his mother and has supported cancer charities, the Alzheimer’s Association, and veteran advocacy groups. Cooper is politically active, aligning with the Democratic Party, and has publicly expressed support for Barack Obama and environmental action.

A native of Philadelphia, Cooper supports the Philadelphia Eagles and has made various public appearances with the team. In 2025, he opened a cheesesteak restaurant in New York City called Danny and Coop’s.