Bradley Cooper has seen a lot of success as an actor from starring in such big movies as The Hangover, American Sniper, and A Star is Born. The latter of which was a big step up in his career, gaining him several awards and accolades for his work, not only starring but also writing and directing the film. This recognition still was not enough to keep him from considering leaving the acting world all together. 

Last year, Cooper worked with two of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today- Guillermo del Toro and Paul Thomas Anderson. According to Cooper, his experience working on Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley became a nightmare itself due to filming during the pandemic. After Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out, Copper was approached. He says he only took the job because he didn’t want to feel left out, contributing it to “insecurity and ego.” 

This experience led Cooper to the conclusion that he would no longer like to work on a film that he did not write himself. This changed when he got the call to be in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza. It was during the filming of this that Anderson reminded Cooper why he still loved the craft. 

In a conversation with along Mahershala Ali for Variety, Cooper said: “When he called me to maybe be in his movie, I mean really, I think I’d open up a door in his movie, I’d do anything… I spent three and a half weeks with Paul. I watched all the camera tests. He was teaching me all about lenses, things I never knew. He’s incredible.” 

Luckily, he came to this conclusion as Cooper has taken over writing and directing duties from Steven Spielberg on the upcoming film Maestro. Cooper is also starring in the film, which is currently in pre-production.