Inside the Actor’s Studio on Bravo has become the premiere destination for actors to learn about their craft. It’s ageless host, James Lipton, brings on accomplished stars and takes them on a retrospective of their life and work. The dais has included the likes of Robert De Niro, Sean Penn and most recently Silver Linings Playbook Oscar nominee, Bradley Cooper, but what most don’t realize is that Cooper is a graduate of The Actor’s Studio.
An online clip resurfaced on Youtube recently with the 87-year old host interviewing Sean Penn in 1999. A young Cooper sits in the front row with a blue shirt and tie and blond hair medium length. He asks Penn about his stage role and later film role as Eddie in Hurlyburly.
Cooper asks, “Hey Mr. Penn. My name is Bradley Cooper. I’m a second year actor. My question is regarding “Hurlyburly”. What is it like to revisit a character, Eddie, after a 10-year hiatus? Did you have new discoveries? Did you find that it was a different approach because you’ve already done this character before?”
The intrigued Cooper sat on the edge of his seat with his palm cupping his chin while Penn answered. Even then, you could see the determination in his eyes but Cooper was probably the only one who had an inkling that he would be on that stage years later fielding questions.
Lipton was equally proud when Cooper took the stage on March 14, 2011. He said then, “the night that one of our graduated students has achieved so much that he or she walks out on this stage and takes that chair will be the moment that I’ve waited for since we began the school and the series 17 years ago.”
It looks like Lipton got his wish. Hopefully as an added bonus Lipton will get to see Cooper walk another stage, Oscar. Check out the video to see Cooper take on Penn.
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