Bradley Cooper reveals private struggles as young actor in Hollywood

"I couldn't get into any clubs, no girl wanted to look at me ... I was just totally depressed," says Cooper of his early days as an actor. Photo / Getty Images

Bradley Cooper "couldn't get into clubs and no girl would look [at him]" at the start of his career.

The 47-year-old actor got his big break starring opposite Jennifer Garner in hit TV show Alias - but Bradley admits he struggled after moving to Los Angeles for his first major acting job, as he felt left out of the city's social scene.

Speaking on Sean Hayes' Smartness podcast, the Hollywood star explained: "I definitely did feel, moving to Los Angeles for Alias, like I was back in high school.

"I couldn't get into any clubs, no girl wanted to look at me … I was just totally depressed."

Bradley spent five years on the show. But he went through a tough time after he was written out of Alias and he sustained a nasty Achilles tendon injury while playing
basketball.

However, work later picked up and he eventually landed a career-changing role in the 2009 comedy movie The Hangover, which propelled him to global stardom and helped to make him to become one of the most sought-after actors in the movie business.

Bradley didn't experience fame properly until he was in his 30s and he appreciated his success more because he was a bit older.

He said on the podcast: "I did have the benefit of that happening when I was 29 … I got to do go through all of those things before fame even played into my existence on a daily level … I definitely made major breakthroughs from 29 to 34, where I was at least able to stand in front of somebody and breathe, listen and talk."