Bradley Cooper is a movie star, but he’s also a great actor. Since he first emerged as a leading man, he’s starred in everything from bawdy comedies to more high-brow fare, and he’s proven that he can fit into almost any genre or milieu. Cooper has played war heroes, FBI agents, rock stars, and space raccoons, and he’s been great at pretty much all of that.
It should be said, though, that Cooper takes the act of making a movie seriously. He studied at the Acting Studio, and he seems to always be insanely committed to the projects he participates in. Now, as he begins to direct more and more, it’s time to take a look back at the best Bradley Cooper movies over his long career.
A Star Is Born (2018)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
The Hangover (2009)
American Hustle (2013)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
American Sniper (2014)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Limitless (2011)
The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Early in his career, Cooper’s roles were more often in comedies than dramas, and he proved himself to be a master of the genre. Maybe the pinnacle of his comedic work comes in Wet Hot American Summer, one of the more surreal comedies ever made, and one that features a lineup of future comedy stars spread across the cast. Cooper, who plays a gay man, earns every laugh that he gets, even though he’s surrounded by comedy legends. He may just be one piece of a much larger ensemble, but Cooper stood out even then.