Shropshire Star

Bradley Cooper reveals A Star Is Born nearly had a very different opening

Cooper directed the film as well as starring alongside Lady Gaga.

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Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper has revealed his Bafta-nominated directorial debut almost had a very different opening.

The start of A Star Is Born sees rock star Jackson Maine, played by Cooper, take to the stage for a live performance in a scene filmed at Stagecoach music festival.

However, Cooper told a London screening for Bafta voters that he pitched the film very differently.

Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper said his initial vision for the beginning of A Star Is Born was different to the eventual film (Matt Crossick/PA)

He said: “The truth is it was very different. It was this whole thing with Tchaikovsky Opus 35 in D Major and this whole ice thing and water, a whole different thing, that is the truth.”

A Star Is Born has earned seven nominations from Bafta, five of which are for Cooper across five disciplines in the best film, actor, director, adapted screenplay and original music categories.

He said taking the leap into directing had been “thrilling”, adding: “I knew I had always wanted to be a director but I hadn’t had the courage.

“I was at a point in my life where the truth is the directors I wanted to work with weren’t asking me to be in their movies so I thought, ‘I’m 40 years old, am I just going to wait around?’”

Cooper also filmed a scene from the movie, which stars Lady Gaga as an aspiring singer, at Glastonbury Festival and credited the Somerset arts event with inspiring him in the first place.

He said: “I spent four days at Glastonbury and that is where it really started to churn. It was soon after that that I pitched it.”

The film is widely tipped to pick up a string of Oscar nominations, which will be announced in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

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