Thanks To His Friend, Bradley Cooper Realized He "Was So Lost" As Drug Addiction Destroyed Him

Jun 23, 2022 by apost team

Bradley Charles Cooper was born on January 5th, 1975. The actor is of Irish and Italian ancestry and has one older sister named Holly. His late father, Charlie Cooper, was a Merrill Lynch stockbroker, while his mother, Gloria Campano Cooper, worked with the local NBC affiliate in Pennsylvania. 

Cooper grew up with one sister outside Philadelphia and was raised Catholic. He is Italian through his mother, Irish through his father and Catholic through both. He has mentioned in interviews that he still prays daily.

Making his film debut in 2001 with "Wet American Hot Summer," Cooper worked extremely hard in the industry to take his place in the world. However, the actor skyrocketed to fame almost overnight with the success of "The Hangover" (2009), from which he made $600,000, and then a cool $5 million for the sequel in 2011, according to Hello! Magazine.

He is so well-liked that fellow actor Robert De Niro has invited him to stay at his house numerous times. Even David O. Russell, a notoriously demanding director, has expressed eagerness to work with Cooper over and over again. But Bradley didn't gain fame and success from nothing. Behind his successful and talented career, the actor has decades of growth behind him. Not only has he dealt with fame but also drug and alcohol addiction. The award-winning star hasn't just managed to turn his life around but has been a sober role model for other mega stars. 

Cooper publicly stated being unable to remember nights of his life from partying was the moment he realized he had an issue. 

While speaking emotionally and candidly on the "Smartless" podcast, Cooper admitted he was embarrassed after he couldn't remember having dinner with a friend. 

"Will was like, 'Hey man, do you remember we had dinner the other night?' He goes, 'How do you think that went?'" Cooper remembered. "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,'" he said.

His close friend and actor Will Arnett had a response Cooper wasn't expecting to hear. "You were a real a--hole, man," Cooper remembered Arnett saying. 

Cooper admitted after hearing about his behavior, he knew he needed to make a change in his life. 

"That was like the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol," Cooper explained. "It was Will saying that to me, and I'll just never forget it. ... It changed my entire life," the star actor added. 

Cooper admitted that back then, in the early 2000s, he had become addicted to drugs. "I was so lost, and I was addicted to cocaine," he shared.

"Will is the reason (I overcame it). He took the 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," Cooper admitted. 

Arnett couldn't accept all the praise. He said it has been an honor to see Cooper doing so well in life. 

"It has been awesome seeing you in this place and seeing you comfortable," he insisted. "Nothing has made me happier, Arnett said.

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After taking control of his own life, Cooper has been sober for over 15 years. Not only did he turn his life around, but other stars credit their sobriety journey to Cooper's help.

Brad Pitt has publicly praised Cooper for his success in becoming sober. In 2020 Pitt paid homage to Cooper by thanking him." Thank you, Bradley. Bradley just put his daughter to bed and then rushed over to do this. He's a sweetheart," Pitt said. Pitt shared, "I got sober because of this guy. And every day's been happier ever since." 

Pitt finished and said, ​​"I love you, and I thank you."

Cooper has done more than land on his feet since struggling with alcohol and drug issues. The star now has a young daughter, who was born in March of 2017. He shared with E News that having a daughter is something he has always wanted. 

"So I guess having a child, and having a family of my own — which is a miracle and something I've always dreamt of — has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present," the star actor shared.

While on "The Ellen Degeneres Show," in 2019, Cooper said fatherhood has been life-changing. "I think like every way," he shared. He went on to add, "I mean it allowed me to embrace my childlike self without any sort of fear of judgment." The award-winning man said he loves seeing life through his daughter's eyes. "I think the innocence is beautiful to see," he shared. 

We are so inspired by Bradley Cooper's positive choices to turn his life around. Do you know somebody who struggled or struggles with addiction? Or somebody who has managed to stay sober for 15 years?

If you love this actor—make sure to pass this on to another fan who adores him just as much!