Dont Take This Hunk at Face Value

As he drove,Coopers eyes flicked between road and rearview mirror. Later he explained that hed been checking for photographers: Ive been followed at 6 a.m.,plenty of times. Early-bird paparazzi are a recent development in Coopers life. Their appearance can be dated,more or less,to the release of The Hangover,the smash 2009 comedy in which he co-starred as the suavely piggish Phil. In the wake of that films success,he was compelled to a secluded section of Los Angeles in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood protected by a gate and a steep driveway. (That his girlfriend is Renée Zellweger doesnt exactly deflect tabloid attention,either.)

The Hangover has turned Cooper into a worthwhile targetand into what industry types call a bankable star. Now he is trying to transition from ensemble player to leading man. Last week saw the release of his latest movie,the thriller Limitless raising the question: can he carry a movie on his own? With The Hangover Part II due in May,this is an important moment for him. With the superstars like Brad Pitt,Johnny Depp,Tom Cruise,Will Smith,Matt Damon now in their 40s,studios are looking for younger talent. Alongside Jake Gyllenhaal,Ryan Reynolds and,to some degree,Channing Tatum,Cooper is on the shortlist of candidates.

In Limitless,he plays Eddie,a schlubby would-be writer who discovers NZT,a drug that allows him to use 100 per cent of his brainpower. On NZT he writes a brilliant novel,makes a Wall Street fortune and trades his frizzy ponytail and drab wardrobe for a slicked-back do,spread-collared shirts and the company of gorgeous women. His favourite thing about Limitless, was playing pre-NZT Eddie: obscuring his handsomeness and getting closer to the kind of transformational acting he grew up admiring in heroes like De Niro. Id eat tons of Chinese food the day before we shot,so Id be bloated, he said. And my face is kind of messed upmy eyes are actually crookedso if you shoot me from different angles I look like a different person.

A common thread uniting nearly all of his performances is that his characters have been defined by ample smoothness and sex appeal. :The camera loves him, said Liam Neeson,who starred with Cooper in The A-Team and appears briefly in the coming Hangover sequel. “He reminds me a bit of Paul Newman.

He grew up feeling awkward about his looks. I was raised in this Italian family his mother is Italian-Americanwhere I didnt look like anybody else. They all had black hair. I had blond hair,blue eyes. Everybody thought I was a girl.

While Cooper denies having a career strategy more calculating than keep getting better, one can discern a certain savvy at play in the wide range of films hes done. Its not easy to jump from R-rated comedy to action to drama, but Bradley can move through so many things,because hes got raw talent,said Todd Phillips,the director of The Hangover. De Niro said: He has the same commitment as other young,serious actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn,even if Seans a little older. Cooper talked about future projects,expressing his desire not to run from his current image but rather to dive in head first and deepen it. After The Hangover Part II,he is set to star in The Words,about a writer who achieves success after stealing another mans work.

Cooper became most animated,though,discussing the role he was hoping to land in Baz Luhrmanns coming Great Gatsby adaptation: Gatsbys cocky,blueblood rival,Tom Buchanan.

To me,hes the best character in the book. Hes so complicated, Cooper said. I dont even know if Im on Lurhmanns radar, he said. Maybe hell read this article after the roles cast and say,Oh. Ha. Yeah,that guy was never going to get it.