How Bradley Cooper went from character actor to leading man

Bradley Cooper was once the obnoxious loudmouth in ensemble comedies. Now, he’s one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. How did Cooper go from character actor to a leading man?

“Trapster! It’s Sack!” If you don’t recognize that quote from Wedding Crashers, picture a spoiled, unlikable loudmouth reciting those words to a sleazy friend over the phone as he bragged about his latest sexual conquest. If you had to say who was playing the jerk, would you guess Bradley Cooper?

It’s hard to believe that Bradley Cooper was once only known as “the jerk from Wedding Crashers.” Cooper is one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood today, but before his recent success this decade, the Academy Award-nominated actor was known for his distasteful characters. Simply put, Bradley Cooper played an a*****e and honestly, he was very good at it. When you start to look at his early filmography, Cooper always seemed to be cast as the offensive characters in comedies.

In Wedding Crashers, Cooper played Sack Lodge, the unfaithful, slimy, and offensive villain that consistently cheated on his fiancé. In He’s Just Not That Into You, Cooper’s Ben Gunders was a liar and cheater, which lead to his eventual divorce. Finally, Cooper broke out as Phil in The Hangover, who was drunk and derogatory throughout the entire movie, which made it that much harder to find the missing groom.

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Now, I’m not here to play moral police because those movies are works of fiction and happen to be very funny. Cooper is an actor so it is his job to give a convincing performance and he succeeded, which is why people still talk about those characters today. However, the common theme of his characters centered around arrogance and egotism.

The question then revolves around when Cooper’s career started to turn. When did Bradley Cooper go from character actor to a leading man? I point to 2012. That year, Cooper starred opposite Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines. Although Cooper played a hotshot detective, the role was noticeably more dramatic and emotional than we were used to seeing out of the actor.

Later that year, Cooper starred in Silver Linings Playbook, which is the movie that dramatically changed Cooper’s career arc. Cooper portrayed Pat Solitano, a man suffering from bipolar disorder who, fresh out of a stint from a mental institution, agrees to dance with Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence) in exchange for help with his estranged wife. Cooper depicted another hothead, but this role was different from his Wedding Crashers‘s days because of the emotional and dramatic context that was necessary for the role. This role was made for Bradley Cooper and it paid off as Cooper received a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars.

Cooper continued to find roles in the “charismatic and dramatic” lane as he built off of his recent momentum with a role in American Hustle, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Despite the newfound success, Cooper threw out all of his comedic wits for his role as Chris Kyle in American Sniper. Cooper committed to the performance tremendously, gaining 40 pounds to play the most famous sniper in U.S. history. The gamble paid off as American Sniper was the highest grossing film in North America in 2014 and Cooper earned a third straight Oscar nomination.

Cooper was no longer a character actor. A star was born.

Speaking of a star, Cooper is now front and center in the spotlight for A Star Is Born, which he wrote, directed, and stars opposite Lady Gaga. Critics have applauded Cooper’s directorial debut and many predict it will be a big contender this awards season.

With the praise for A Star Is Born, expect Cooper to write and direct more films in the future. When all is said and done, Cooper may end up with a career similar to his American Sniper director, Clint Eastwood. Without a doubt, it’s a safe bet that Cooper will be a leading man for many years to come.

Do you believe Bradley Cooper is a top leading man in Hollywood? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet me @danny_giro.