Bradley Cooper has revealed that his early career doubts, as well as a burgeoning drug addiction problem, made him want to “kill himself” while he was on the set of Alias.
Cooper starred as Will Tippin in 46 episodes of the hit American spy drama, and he told GQ that he soon became agitated when his role wasn’t expanded.
He remarked, “I would only work three days a week. And then for the second season, I got even more sidelined. I was like, ‘Ugh.’ And then next thing you know, I was like, “I want to f***ing kill myself.”
These thoughts were only exacerbated by his growing alcohol addiction, which he admitted led him to doubt his own skills as a thespian.
Cooper continued, “I think work was getting f***ed up. The best thing I can do is embrace who I am and then do that to the fullest extent, and then whatever happens, happens.”
The candid star, who can currently be seen in David O Russell’s American Hustle, also noted, “The more steps I do to not do that, the farther I am away from fulfilling any potential I would have. So the answer to that question, then, is: Yes, of course it hindered the work.”
Cooper’s sobriety led to him starring in the likes of All About Steve and The Midnight Meat Train , which, even though they were critically panned, helped him to recover as a human being.
“I was doing these movies, and I got to meet Sandra Bullock and meet these people and work with them,” he stated. “And I’m sober, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m actually myself. And I don’t have to put on this air to be somebody else, and this person still wants to work with me? Oh, what the f*** is that about?’ I was rediscovering myself in this workplace, and it was wonderful.”
Cooper has since gone on to star in the hugely successful franchise, The Hangover, as Phil Wenneck.
Because of the critical and financial acclaim of the first instalment to the trilogy, he soon became hot property in Hollywood, which allowed him to work with David O Russell on Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle , Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines, and as part of the ensemble for Marvel’s upcoming adventure Guardians of the Galaxy.
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