Critics have been quick to notice the onscreen chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Critics have been quick to notice the onscreen chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Lady Gaga did not expect her role as an unknown singer in the hotly anticipated film A Star is Born to prove quite so emotionally gruelling or as deeply cathartic as it did.
"I was able to take all the pain, all the despair, all the memories of betrayal or let-downs I've gone through and put them somewhere where they could help people."
She tears up. "This movie has changed my life. Now I feel like the pain was not for nothing. If I can help make one person feel stronger or feel understood, it's worth it."
This is the fourth incarnation of A Star is Born and marks Bradley Cooper's directorial debut. He also co-wrote the script and took on the lead role as Jackson Maine, a country rock musician battling addiction while his career is on the decline. His life changes when he meets an aspiring female entertainer, who falls for him.
"I've always wanted to direct, ever since I was a kid," says Cooper. "I knew I wanted to tell a love story but I never had the confidence. And I have to tell you, as many movies as I've made as an actor [40 plus] I have to admit, as a director, I feel vulnerable and overwhelmed."
Bradley Cooper directed the film, as well as playing the lead role.
Cooper is following in the footsteps of Kevin Costner and Ben Affleck, who both took their first directorial/ starring duties to award-winning heights (Dances With Wolves, in 1990, and Argo, in 2012, respectively).
Although there is always a level of scepticism when an actor (especially one who has been deemed Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine) steps up to the plate to try his hand at directing, present signs indicate Cooper's achievement is likely to be rewarded many times over, come awards season. A Star is Born has been heralded as "the movie to beat" at this year's Academy Awards.
"This was definitely the most artistically fulfilling experience that I have ever had by far, and I have had wonderful experiences before, but I really did feel like I was in a place that I felt completely fulfilled creatively," says Cooper.
Cooper and Gaga were at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel during the Toronto Film Festival, where the film premiered and earned rave reviews, Gaga cannot contain her delight. Many of those favourable appraisals acknowledged the palpable on-screen chemistry between the pair, which the film's leading lady is thrilled to discuss.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga became close friends while filming the movie.
"From the moment I met Bradley at my house in California, the second I saw his eyes, we had an instant connection. And before I knew it, I was feeding him leftover pasta from the house," she says. "He's Italian, we are both from the East Coast, so we had just an instant synergy. And not long after that, he asked me if I would sing a song called Midnight Special with him. As I began to play, he started to sing with me. I stopped immediately, and I said, 'Oh my gosh, Bradley, you have this incredible voice'."
Cooper illustrates their symbiotic relationship: "I entrusted myself to her that I would be able to find my voice as a musician as Jackson Maine and she gave me that confidence. At the same time, she trusted me enough that she gave herself to me and flowered as an actress."
The film marks Lady Gaga's feature debut as an actress.
Shot at a cost of US$36 million, A Star is Born also stars Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, and Sam Elliott. Clearly, Cooper enjoyed the musical sequences, which make up a great chunk of the movie and were shot at Glastonbury and Coachella festivals. Cooper enlisted his rock-star buddies as unofficial consultants, including Metallica's Lars Ulrich and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. "I didn't want to shoot a music movie without Glastonbury, because it's a seminal place for bands and musicians and singers. There were two things that were barometers of success for me: if a musician saw the movie or anybody who has dealt with addiction saw the movie, it had to feel and look authentic."
The movie examines ambition and fame, two subjects close to home for Cooper and Gaga. For Gaga, "What does it mean to be a star?" She muses, repeats the question. "Being a star takes courage of the human spirit. To be a star means bravery, compassion, understanding. That's what makes a real star."
And for Cooper, what was his first encounter with fame? "I guess, I remember when The Hangover came out, I was at an airport in Europe and Keith Richards' family was there, and they were talking about the film, and I thought, 'That's crazy, man'. I think that was the moment I realised my life had changed."
LOWDOWN: Who: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper What: A Star is Born When: In cinemas today
