Bradley Cooper’s statement about his 2023 film Maestro is driving fans insane as they speculate it was some sort of hint at Cillian Murphy being cast in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. The Irish actor once revealed that he got a call from the filmmaker who directly offered him the lead role. Having worked together in the past, Murphy immediately said yes.
Now, it seems that Cooper might be throwing some shade in his interview after he revealed his latest film was years in progress. Fans would also remember he spent about a year working on his voice for A Star Is Born.
Bradley Cooper Was Bitter About Cillian Murphy’s Casting In Oppenheimer
During Variety’s Actors on Actors segment, Bradley Cooper spoke with Emma Stone and shared how he got interested in music conducting, which was his role in Maestro. He stated:
“I’ve done so much work on believing I’m a conductor that if I ever had the chance to play one, there’s years and years of rehearsal inside of me. And when you believe you are something… That’s all we’re trying to do anyway.”
Cooper ended up helming the biopic movie, revealing that the concept of the project dates back years ago. He continued:
“And then [Spielberg] wasn’t going to direct it. I had just finished A Star Is Born, and I had really found what I loved, which is writing and directing movies. Then, I had to get the rights to the music from the kids, and I started doing research. That’s how it started back in the end of 2017.”
Finally, he managed to throw a subtle shade at Cillian Murphy’s casting in Oppenheimer when he mentioned getting a call from someone and starting production in just a few months:
“I feel like you couldn’t have made Poor Things if you didn’t have a tremendous amount of prep, and it’s the same thing with Maestro. This wasn’t like you got a call, and in six months, you’re going to do it. This had to have taken years.”
Stone commented that Cooper working on all of his film’s aspects – writing, directing, producing – was too much to take on. She also noted how the experience could be quite scary because they have a long amount of time to worry about things that could go wrong.
Bradley Cooper’s Statement Enraged Cillian Murphy’s Fans
Fans were clearly not having it, and many defended Cillian Murphy against Bradley Cooper’s criticism. Check out their tweets below:
i genuinely think this is what it boils down to, because it’s clear bradley tries SOOOOOO hard and wants this so bad and it pisses him off that he’s not going to get recognition because some guy who doesn’t even care about the glory of it (cillian) did a better job. like boo hoo.
— timothèe chalamet’s bad PR strategy (@bey0ncebeytwice) December 9, 2023
meanwhile cillian gives zero fucks abt bradley because he has a life. and talent.
— ke swordfish | (@sixontheghgs) December 9, 2023
It’s takes Bradley Cooper years to get that mid ass performance but it takes Cillian Murphy to give the best performance of the decade pic.twitter.com/W8RSVGVpsB
— PeakyLOTR (@BrockMorrison19) December 9, 2023
It’s so weird how he just slid himself a compliment “It’s the same thing with maestro” was giving desperate 👀
— N△NCY L (@xonancy) December 10, 2023
bro got one sided beef
— marth 🌿 (@marthstwittah) December 9, 2023
Thank God, cillian is just chilling in his house, eating cheese
— m (@wickedgogh) December 10, 2023
Murphy’s fans all agreed that the actor remains unbothered with all the fame and popularity he has received over the years, while Cooper strives so hard for recognition.
