Despite Bradley Cooper’s admiration for James Gunn, an unexpected mentor emerged in his THR director’s roundtable conversation, and that is none other than, Michael Mann. Cooper revealed that Mann was the maestro behind teaching him one of the toughest jobs being a director, and that is to write rejection letters.
Now, as a director navigating his own path, Cooper credits Mann not only for this skill but also for being a guiding force, along the way.
Bradley Cooper Credits Michael Mann for Teaching Him the Toughest Job One Has to Do Being a Director!
Every profession comes with its ups and downs, and for a director, one of the more challenging parts involves turning away actors who pour their heart and soul into auditions. Although Hollywood can be pretty ruthless sometimes, Michael Mann made Bradley Cooper believe otherwise, solely through a letter.
Now, as Cooper assumes the role of a director himself, he aims to instill the skills he inherited from Mann, including the art of crafting rejection letters. While many may not bother, Mann takes the time to pen personal letters to actors he had to reject in the process of making a film. Once upon a time, Bradley Cooper found himself among the recipients of Mann’s thoughtful letters.
Very recently, Cooper revealed the following in The Hollywood Reporter Director’s Roundtable,
“Can I do a segue real quick? Because I wanted to get it in here. I’ve been an actor for so many years, still an actor. And one thing I learned from this man (gestures at Mann) was, I put myself on tape for Public Enemies years ago, and I didn’t get it. 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. And you never know the impact you have. I learned from that. Anybody that auditions, I always write them. And that’s because of you.”
Now, after all these years, Cooper thus, takes the time to pen letters to those he couldn’t cast, offering a sprinkle of encouragement to propel them forward on their individual journeys.
Bradley Cooper Directed a Movie That Nobody Wanted!
Before steering the conversation toward the impact of Michael Mann on his life, Bradley Cooper recounted instances of rejection he faced while making his movie a reality. During The Hollywood Reporter Roundtable, sitting amidst some of the industry’s formidable directors, Cooper revealed the challenges he encountered with his film Maestro. He said,
“Everybody said no to Maestro. Every studio passed. A studio I had made so many movies with that were also big risks that worked out [passed]. And luckily [Netflix film chairman] Scott Stuber, man, one guy, he said, “Look, I trust you.” It’s crazy. A movie about a fluid male character who’s a classical musician, and half of it’s in black-and-white, and you’re going to shoot it on 35 millimeter black-and-white stock. And he said, “Yeah.” “
Thanks to Netflix, audiences will witness Bradley Cooper directing himself once again, this time portraying a complex, yet brilliant musical figure. This comes nearly five years after his remarkable work on A Star Is Born.
Maestro is now streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: Bradley Cooper Has Already Won His First Award after Leaving Marvel
