Trained at the renowned Actor’s Studio but seasoned in the irreverent comic stylings of New York’s STELLA comedy troupe, Bradley Cooper’s career progressed from TV guest spots to memorable comedic support in features in a relatively short amount of time. He fearlessly made his first major big screen impression as an unlikable (if handsome) groom in “Wedding Crashers” (2005) but regained audience’s affection in “Failure to Launch” (2006) before ensuring his own launch with a string of four high-profile co-starring roles in 2008, including “All About Steve” with Sandra Bullock and “Yes Man” with Jim Carrey.Born Jan. 5, 1975 in Philadelphia, PA, Cooper was inspired to pursue acting after watching John Hurt play the title role in David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” (1980) — a role Cooper would later tackle for his thesis performance at the Actors Studio Drama School. After graduating from Georgetown University in 1997 with a degree in English, he relocated to New York City and enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program at the Actors Studio at New School University. While still a student, Cooper made his television debut on a 1999 episode of “Sex and the City” (HBO, 1998-2004) and snared a hosting gig on the Travel Channel series, “Treks in a Wild World” (2000). “Sex and the City” creator Darren Star remembered Cooper’s work and cast him in the financial drama, “The $treet” (Fox, 2000-01) which lasted only 12 episodes. But the actor was not unemployed for long, taking part in the cult comedy “Wet Hot American Summer” (2001) and appearing with the film’s creative team, comedy troupe STELLA, in a series of short films released on DVD as “Stella Shorts: 1998-2002.”
Roles in several independent films followed, including the unsettling horror film “My Little Eye” (2002) and the unreleased “Carnival Knowledge,” as well as likable turns in TV movies, “The Last Cowboy” (2003) opposite “$treet” co-star Jennie Garth and “I Want to Marry Ryan Banks” (ABC, 2004), a romantic comedy with Jason Priestly that spoofed reality television shows. Cooper’s first high-profile gig was playing reporter Will Tippin in the first two seasons of “Alias” (ABC, 2001-06). He left the show in 2003 and stepped into recurring roles on “Touching Evil” (USA, 2004), “Jack and Bobby” (WB, 2004-05), and a two-part “Law and Order” story that carried over from “Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 1999- ) to “Trial By Jury” (NBC, 2005).
In 2005, Cooper landed his biggest feature role to date in the raunchy summer smash “Wedding Crashers.” Cast as Rachel McAdams’ obsequious, cheating fiancée, Cooper showcased both his comedic and dramatic skills in a single role, sometimes even stealing scenes from his gifted co-stars, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. After this knockout role, his talent was not overlooked by the industry. Cooper was soon cast as the lead in Fox’s “Kitchen Confidential” (2005), a sitcom based on Chef Anthony Bourdain’s best-selling tell-all novel. Despite his charming presence and a fine supporting cast, the show floundered and was cancelled after 13 episodes. Cooper rebounded with another amusing turn as one of Matthew McConaughey’s eccentric friends in the hit romantic comedy “Failure to Launch” (2006), where many critics singled out Cooper’s performance in otherwise lukewarm reviews. Jumping from screen to stage in early 2006, Cooper appeared on Broadway alongside Paul Rudd and Julia Roberts, in the actress’s much publicized and sold out Broadway debut "Three Days of Rain."
The steadily working actor ramped up his visibility and by 2008, was slated to appear in no less than four major feature films. He would be seen in his first major Hollywood starring role in an adaptation of Clive Barker’s thriller “The Midnight Meat Train,” in addition to co-starring opposite Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy “All About Steve.” The film adaptation of the dating tome “He’s Just Not That Into You” and the Jim Carrey vehicle “Yes Man” would round out what was bound to be Cooper’s breakout year.
