Bradley Cooper is opening up about his past struggles with addiction in his 20s and his journey to getting sober. The Oscar nominee, 47, sat down for a discussion on Will Arnett‘s “SmartLess” podcast earlier this week, speaking with fellow actors Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. Cooper talked about his mental health history and how Arnett, his longtime friend, inspired him to get healthier and stuck by his side throughout the most tumultuous times.
The Star Is Born actor shared that when he first moved to Los Angeles for his role in the early aughts show Alias, his insecurities and difficulties with “self-esteem” made him feel like he was “back” in high school. “I could not get into any clubs, no girls wanted to look at me. I was totally depressed,” he said on the podcast. He also revealed that he was later “fired” from Alias while healing with an injury to his Achilles’ tendon.
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To try to cope with his insecurities, Cooper admitted that he adopted a “mean humor” based on popular comedians at the time that he looked up to. However, he explained, he ended up realizing that he was just being cruel to those around him and it was affecting his close relationships and personal life.
The Silver Linings Playbook star pinpointed one important dinner party he threw with Arnett at the age of 29 that made him see he had “hit rock bottom” regarding his substance abuse usage. “Will was like, ‘Hey man, do you remember we had dinner the other night? How do you think that went?'” Cooper recalled, “I remember being at the dinner thinking I was so funny, and I thought these two guys who were my heroes thought that I was so funny. I was like ‘I thought it was great. I thought I was killing.'” Cooper added, “Will Arnett was like, ‘You were a real (expletive), man. You were a real (expletive).'”
The American Sniper alum added, “That was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol. The guy that I think is doing mean humor is telling me the truth and it changed my entire life.” Cooper also remembered Arnett asking him if he had taken his dog outside and it was already 4 p.m.— Cooper found this to be a crucial moment in realizing he needed help.
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“I was so lost and I was addicted to cocaine,” Cooper confessed. “Will took that risk of having that hard conversation with me in July of 2004 and that put me on a path of deciding to change my life. It truly was Will Arnett. he is the reason.” Cooper stressed that he is still “grateful” to this day to have done the necessary work in getting sober and addressing his struggles before reaching peak fame.
Cooper also said that between the ages of 29 to 34 he prioritized sobriety and became even stronger and more confident while seeking therapy. “Quite honestly today I can sit in front of you and tell you I have self-esteem and it’s not related to any outside thing. I didn’t have that for 46 years,” Cooper said.
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The Marvel icon also gave credit to his daughter Lea, 5, (whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk) for enriching his life. “Everything changed,” he said regarding fatherhood. “Every single thing is absolutely shaded by or brought out in glorious colors by the fact that I get to be a father to a wonderful human being. It’s just the absolute greatest thing.”
Tugging on our heartstrings even more, Arnett then said to Cooper, “It has been awesome seeing you in this place and seeing you comfortable, nothing has made me happier.” He added, “It’s made me happy to see you so happy with who you are.”
