Bradley Cooper in New York City on Nov. 13, 2023.Photo:Jason Mendez/Getty
Jason Mendez/Getty
Bradley Cooperlikes to keep things moving.
In a conversation with fellow filmmakerSpike LeeforVariety, theMaestrodirector, co-writer and star revealed that he doesn’t allow chairs on the sets of movies he directs.
“When I direct, I don’t watch playback. There’s no chairs,” said Cooper, 48. “I’ve always hated chairs on sets; your energy dips the minute you sit down in a chair. There’s no video village.”
“And that was the result of just having so much time to think and write and prepare to act in this movie,” he added.
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Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre and Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein inMaestro(2023).Jason McDonald/Netflix
Jason McDonald/Netflix
Aside from his directing duties, Cooper went to great lengths to resemble famed musical genius Bernstein inMaestro.
AsBernstein’s daughter Jamie, the oldest of his three children, recently told PEOPLE, “We had no idea that Bradley had this level of intensity and commitment about a thing when he got it in his grip.”
“There are even certain moments in the film, when he’s in motion, where helooks so exactly like our dadit makes us gasp,” she shared.
Throughout the long process of making the film, Cooper kept in constant contact with Bernstein’s children — Jamie, 71, plus Alexander, 68, and Nina, 61 — to ensure he was on trackto capturing their father.
“The way he embraced us as he went along in this project — he was so open-hearted,” said Jamie. “We wound up feeling like we could trust him.”
Bradley Cooper and daughter Lea De Seine at the Los Angeles premiere ofMaestroon Dec. 12, 2023.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Cooper attended the Los Angeles premiere of his film on Tuesday, witha very special guestin tow: 6-year-oldLea De Seine, whom he shares with exIrina Shayk.
At one point, Lea and a friend evenpulled out a coloring bookand sat down on thered carpetto entertain themselves, as Cooper chatted with costar Mulligan, 38.
Lea makes a cameo inMaestro, playing the younger version ofMaya Hawke’scharacter — and her mom couldn’t be more proud.
On Tuesday, Shayk posted a sweet message on Instagramin honor of the film, sharing a movie poster forMaestrofeaturing Lea dancing with Mulligan while Cooper props himself up on the grass.
“Congrats@maestrofilm,” wrote the model, 37. “So proud Daddy and Lea 💕.”
Maestropremiered in select theaters in November, and will be available to stream Wednesday onNetflix.
source: people.com
