It only took one movie, 2018’s critically acclaimed “A Star Is Born,” for Bradley Cooper to establish himself as one of Hollywood’s most formidable directors. Five years later, his sophomore outing “Maestro” once again sees him directing himself in a complex portrait of a troubled, brilliant musical figure. But even though Cooper is now a peer to some of the industry’s most lauded filmmakers, he still remembers what it’s like to be an actor facing rejection.
Cooper joined The Hollywood Reporter’s Directors Roundtable for a discussion featuring Greta Gerwig, Todd Haynes, Blitz Bazawule, Ava Duvernay, and Michael Mann. While much of the conversation focused on the craft of directing, Cooper took a moment to single out Mann for a kind gesture he made early in Cooper’s career.
Cooper explained that he auditioned for “Public Enemies,” Mann’s 2009 period piece that starred Johnny Depp as infamous gangster John Dillinger and Christian Bale as the FBI agent who pursued him during his final years. While Cooper was not cast in the film, Mann wrote him an encouraging note that he cherished for years to come.
“I’ve been an actor for so many years, still an actor. And one thing I learned from [Michael Mann] was, I put myself on tape for ‘Public Enemies’ years ago, and I didn’t get it,” Cooper said. “And he wrote me a letter. I got a letter from Michael Mann saying, ‘Thank you for auditioning, and I see something in you.’ I kept that on my bookshelf for so many years.”
Cooper went on to say that the note from Mann prompted him to adapt a similar process when casting his own films. The hyphenate said that he now writes notes to every actor who auditions for him with the hope of making a comparable impact on someone.
“You never know the impact you have. I learned from that,” Cooper said. “Anybody that auditions, I always write them. And that’s because of you.”
“Maestro” is now playing in select theaters before streaming on Netflix on December 20. Mann’s “Ferrari” opens in theaters nationwide on December 25.
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