Bradley Cooper says he’s ‘lucky’ to be sober after drug addiction nearly killed him
Bradley Cooper is grateful for the fortunate opportunity he had to overcome addictions that nearly took his life many years ago.
In a recent episode of National Geographic’s “Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge,” the 48-year-old Oscar nominee discussed his sobriety when Grylls inquired about his “wild years.”
Cooper, who has a 6-year-old daughter named Lea with his ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, stated, “In terms of alcohol and drugs, yeah, but nothing to do with fame.”
“But I was fortunate. I became sober at the age of 29, and I have now been sober for 19 years. I consider myself very lucky.”
The star of “The Hangover,” who recently faced criticism for his prosthetic nose in the upcoming Netflix film “Maestro,” battled severe drug and alcohol addiction in the early 2000s, which he openly acknowledges affected his work.
Cooper previously revealed that his addiction worsened after he was fired from the Jennifer Garner action-thriller series “Alias.”
He also revealed that he almost experienced a relapse in 2011 after the death of his father from cancer.
“After that, I had a nihilistic attitude towards life. I genuinely believed I was going to die,” he shared with Grylls. “It was a difficult period for me until I realized I had to accept who I truly am and find peace with that. Eventually, things balanced out.”
Despite how addiction may have hindered his work in the past, Cooper expressed that his personal experiences actually aided him in portraying an addict in “A Star Is Born.”
“It made it easier for me to truly immerse myself in the role,” Cooper remarked about his Oscar-nominated performance in the 2018 film alongside Lady Gaga.
“Fortunately, I was in a place in my life where I had come to terms with everything, allowing me to fully let go.”
“I have been incredibly fortunate to portray the roles I have had the opportunity to play. It has been a true blessing. I hope to continue doing what I love,” he added.
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Cooper has been open about his battle with addiction in the past, as he mentioned in a 2013 interview with GQ that his substance abuse would have “destroyed [his] entire life” if he hadn’t sought help.
“I believe my work was being negatively affected. The most important lesson I’ve learned in life is to fully embrace who I am and pursue that with all my heart. Whatever happens, happens,” he stated at the time.
“The more I try to suppress my true self, the further I stray from fulfilling my potential.”
Bradley Cooper is feeling “very lucky” that he managed to overcome addictions that nearly claimed his life decades ago.
The Oscar nominee, 48, opened up about his sobriety in a recent episode of National Geographic’s “Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge” as Grylls asked about Cooper’s “wild years.”
“In terms of alcohol and drugs, yeah, but nothing to do with fame,” said Cooper, who shares 6-year-old daughter Lea with ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk.
“But I was lucky. I got sober at 29 years old, and I’ve been sober for 19 years. Very lucky.”
“The Hangover” star, who recently sparked backlash over his prosthetic nose in the upcoming Netflix film “Maestro,” battled a heavy drug and alcohol addiction in the early 2000s which he openly admits hindered his work.
Cooper previously shared how his addiction took a turn for the worse after he was fired from the Jennifer Garner action-thriller series “Alias.”
And he said he nearly suffered a similar relapse in 2011 after his father died following a cancer battle.
“I definitely had a nihilistic attitude towards life after, just like I thought ‘I’m going to die,’” he told Grylls. “I don’t know, it wasn’t great for a little bit until I thought I have to embrace who I actually am and try to find a peace with that, and then it sort of evened out.”
And while addiction may have hindered his work in the past, Cooper said his knowledge ultimately helped him execute his role of an addict in “A Star Is Born.”
“It made it easier to be able to really enter in there,” Cooper said about his Oscar-nominated performance in the 2018 film opposite Lady Gaga.
“And thank goodness I was at a place in my life where I was at ease with all of that so I could really let myself go.”
“I’ve been very lucky with the roles I’ve had to play. It’s been a real blessing. I hope I get to keep doing it,” he added.
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Cooper has been open in the past about his struggles with addiction, telling GQ in 2013 that his substance abuse was going to “sabotage [his] whole life” if he did not get help.
“I think work was getting f–ked up. The one thing that I’ve learned in life is the best thing I can do is embrace who I am and then do that to the fullest extent, and then whatever happens, happens,” he said at the time.
“The more steps I do to not do that, the farther I am away from fulfilling any potential I would have.”
