Bradley Cooper’s Bernstein biopic, Maestro, was released last year and rocked 2023. It received positive reviews from critics. Even the National Board of Review and AFI agree—as the film was named one of the top 10 films of 2023.
It dwells on the life of American composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).
The Philadelphia native got a full house of credits for Maestro which he produced, co-wrote (with Josh Singer), directed, and starred in.
Though it seems tough to manage all at once—especially acting and directing together at the same time—the Hollywood star shared how he employed a unique method of acting for directing scenes in Maestro.
Bradley Cooper’s Excellent Method Acting Technique in Maestro
Bradley Cooper made his directorial debut in A Star Is Born but Maestro places him as one of the best directors of contemporary cinema today.
Maestro is a true classic great-man movie that shows how far the actor has come in terms of his own growth as a director. He used some great technical elements in his direction to enhance the authenticity of Maestro, too.
As he told in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Director’s Roundtable that while directing the film he used hand signals with the crew, avoiding the typical “action” call.
With this, he created an environment where actors don’t realize when the scene began or ended to avoid any confusion. Look at what the Marvel star said:
“I have hand signals with the sound mixer and the camera operator. And I don’t call action. After everything’s set up, I’ll just start talking and bring the actors and often they don’t know we’re rolling. And then they’re like, “The scene’s over.” And they’re like, “Huh?” Also, I’m [playing] Lenny Bernstein, so I’m not breaking in and out of character. So I have much more ability to create this illusion.”
Cooper was one of those who was present with directors of six of this year’s most remarkable movies—Blitz Bazawule (The Color Purple), Ava DuVrnay (Origin), Greta Gerwig (Barbie), Todd Haynes (May December) and Michael Mann (Ferrari).
Bradley Cooper Spent 6 Years Training for a Special Scene in Maestro
There’s no doubt, the actor and director had to put a lot of hard work into bringing his film to the big screen. His shocking physical transformation to portray famed conductor Leonard Bernstein also shocked many, but knowing his prep for the role may also blow people’s minds.
Speaking at the Los Angeles screening (covered by Variety), the 49-year-old shared that he dedicated six years to learning how to conduct a 6-minute 21-second sequence in the style of Bernstein for a crucial scene in Maestro.
The scene recreates Leonard Bernstein’s iconic 1976 conducting of the London Symphony Orchestra at Ely Cathedral. It all shows off Cooper’s dedication to giving a blown-away performance in all its full-bodied glory.
Maestro is currently available to watch on Netflix.
