Bradley Cooper is one of the biggest film stars on the planet – but his life away from the screen has been just as dramatic as some of his most famous flicks.
The eight-time Oscar nominee shot to fame in The Hangover (2009) – a hilarious comedy hit that eventually spawned two sequels in 2011 and 2013.
Now, his films have grossed $11 billion worldwide – and he’s regularly ranked as one of the world’s highest-paid actors.
However, fans might not know that Bradley considered turning his back on showbiz for good in the early days – before landing his breakthrough roles that secure his place as a Hollywood A-lister.
As he celebrates his 46th birthday on January 5, Daily Star have explored the dramatic life of Mr Cooper.
Love life
(Image: Getty Images)
It’s no surprise that handsome Bradley has dated some rather famous ladies over the years – including stunning actresses and gorgeous models.
His first high-profile romance was with fellow actor Jennifer Esposito and the pair married in December of 2006.
However, the marriage was short-lived and she filed for divorce in May 2007 – meaning it only lasted four months.
On the marriage, Bradley said: “It was just something that happened. The good thing is, we both realized it… Sometimes you just realize it”
(Image: WireImage)
After his marriage ended, he struck up a relationship with Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger.
Bradley met Renée before tying the knot with Jennifer, and the relationship gained a lot of media attention before they reportedly broke up in 2011.
After Renée, Bradley dated stunning Avatar star Zoe Saldana for two years between December 2011 and January 2013 – but it sadly wasn’t to be.
The hunk went on to date Russian supermodel Irina Shayk for four years – between April 2015 and June 2019.
They even had a daughter together, Lea de Seine, who was born in 2017.
American rapper Kanye West was linked to model Irina last year.
Family tragedy
(Image: Startraks Photo / Rex Features)
Bradley was hit with tragedy in 2011 – the tragic loss of his father Charles.
Charles passed away from lung cancer – and he died in Bradley’s arms.
Cooper opened up about the emotional moment to Oprah Winfrey – saying that “It was everything.
“It was the biggest gift he gave me – the second biggest gift. [The first was] having me and bringing me into this life and [then] him allowing me to be witness to his passing was equally as huge.
“It really honestly felt like – he was cradled, his head was right here – and when he took the last breath I honestly felt like it went into me, and I’ve never seen anything the same since.
“I stopped sweating stuff that I was sweating before that.
“It changed the way I was as an actor by, like, the next day, and I just started to live my life in a different way.”
Mental health battle
(Image: shared content unit)
In the early days of his acting career, Bradley faced a number of setbacks and crippling mental health issues.
At the time, he starred as Will Tippin in the American spy show Alias – but he was demoted to a minor part.
He told GQ: “I would only work three days a week. And then for the second season, I got even more sidelined. I was like, ‘Ugh.’ And then next thing you know, I was like, “I want to f***ing kill myself.”
He also revealed that he grappled with an alcohol problem before becoming sober in 2004 – at the age of 29.
He told US GQ: “If I continued it [booze], I was really going to sabotage my whole life”
Although he was never late to set, he said: “I think work was getting f***ed up. Of course it hindered the work.”
He added that he rediscovered himself as an actor through sobriety.
Bradley said: “I was doing these movies, and I got to meet Sandra Bullock [his co-star in All About Steve] and meet these people and work with them. And I’m sober, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m actually myself'”
Hollywood fame
(Image: Getty Images for Turner)
Bradley has consistently been ranked as one of the highest-paid actors in the world – and the sexiest.
Forbes ranked him first on their list of Ones To Watch in 2013 – and Time magazine listed him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015.
He was even named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 2011.
Speaking about his skill as an actor, Bradley revealed: “I enjoy people, that makes this profession a lot easier, and I can sleep anywhere. That’s a skill”
He also Daniel Day-Lewis as one of his acting influences.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
