Bradley Cooper Faces Criticism, Mocked For His ‘No Chairs’ Policy on Movie Sets
Bradley Cooper, the acclaimed actor and filmmaker, has found himself in the middle of controversy after sharing his unique not-so-common directorial approach; banning chairs from movie sets. In a recent interview with Spike Lee as part of Variety’s Directors on Directors series, Cooper shared that he has excluded chairs to maintain energy and cultivate a collaborative atmosphere. "I've always hated chairs, and I feel like your energy dips the minute you sit down in the chair, so [an] apple box is a very nice way to sit and everybody's together." He also shared his dislike for the traditional ‘video village,’ the behind-the-scenes area packed with monitors and screens, asserting, "I hate that."
As per the reports of HuffPost, some directors share a similar mentality to chairs on sets, Cooper’s remarks have sparked a wave of criticism. Some argue that his comments mirror privilege and raise concerns about ableism, specifically as one fan on X tweeted, "As a wheelchair-bound actor, I feel like Bradley Cooper wouldn't let me on set..." The controversy has ignited discussions about the working scenarios on movie sets, with people advocating for all crew members to be facilitated with chairs during long shooting hours. One X user exclaimed, “Anyway, I think every single person on set should get a provided chair, not just cast/video village because working 12 hours days without being allowed to sit down is inhumane.”
As per the sources of People, Cooper is elated by awards season buzz for his directorial masterpiece Maestro. The film is a biopic of composer Leonard Bernstein, stars Cooper himself, and is all set to release on Netflix.
Despite the controversy around his directorial choices, Cooper shared his satisfaction with the result of Maestro, stating, "And that was the result of just having so much time to think and write and prepare to act in this movie," The chair drama is not new in Hollywood. Christopher Nolan, another popular director has been associated with a no-chairs rule on his sets, as mentioned by Anne Hathaway during an interview, “His reasoning is, if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working, I think he’s onto something with the chair thing.” she remarked.
While Nolan’s representatives explained that chairs were not banned, Robert Downey Jr. later backed up the claim, asserting that there were "no set chairs" while working with Nolan on Oppenheimer. Cooper's directorial approach, unconventional as it may be, highlights the diverse methods employed in the filmmaking industry. While some applaud his commitment to maintaining energy and focus, others question the practicality and inclusivity of such practices, emphasizing the importance of creating a comfortable and humane working environment for everyone involved in the filmmaking process.
