Bradley Cooper Opens Up About the Inspiration Behind His New Movie 'Is This Thing On?' and How His Relationships Played a Role in Giving it a Hopeful Tone.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, director Guillermo del Toro discussed Bradley Cooper's latest film, "Is This Thing On?", which follows Alex Novak as he navigates stand-up comedy after his relationship comes to an end. According to Cooper, the movie drew heavily from his own experiences in relationships, particularly his current one with supermodel Gigi Hadid.
The 49-year-old actor stated that having a deeper understanding of relationships allowed him to approach the story with a more hopeful tone, saying "I couldn't have been so open with relationships if I wasn't where I was now to tell a story with hope." Cooper's personal life has undoubtedly influenced his creative choices, and it's clear that he drew upon this knowledge to craft a narrative that is both authentic and relatable.
When discussing the writing process, Cooper revealed that dialogue remains his favorite aspect of screenwriting. He finds the rhythm of conversations infectious and believes it's like a form of heroin – one that can't be replicated in silence. To help him stay focused during long writing sessions, Cooper frequently puts on the background sound of "The Pat McAfee Show" for four hours straight.
Del Toro praised Cooper's work, noting that the structured framing and blocking in "Is This Thing On?" creates a sense of life and visual risk-taking as the story unfolds. The two filmmakers also discussed their collaborative process, with Cooper stating that projects choose him instead of the other way around.
Overall, it's clear that Cooper's personal experiences have not only shaped his creative approach but also given his latest film a hopeful tone. As he continues to push boundaries in his craft, fans can look forward to more thought-provoking and emotionally resonant stories from this talented actor and director.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, director Guillermo del Toro discussed Bradley Cooper's latest film, "Is This Thing On?", which follows Alex Novak as he navigates stand-up comedy after his relationship comes to an end. According to Cooper, the movie drew heavily from his own experiences in relationships, particularly his current one with supermodel Gigi Hadid.
The 49-year-old actor stated that having a deeper understanding of relationships allowed him to approach the story with a more hopeful tone, saying "I couldn't have been so open with relationships if I wasn't where I was now to tell a story with hope." Cooper's personal life has undoubtedly influenced his creative choices, and it's clear that he drew upon this knowledge to craft a narrative that is both authentic and relatable.
When discussing the writing process, Cooper revealed that dialogue remains his favorite aspect of screenwriting. He finds the rhythm of conversations infectious and believes it's like a form of heroin – one that can't be replicated in silence. To help him stay focused during long writing sessions, Cooper frequently puts on the background sound of "The Pat McAfee Show" for four hours straight.
Del Toro praised Cooper's work, noting that the structured framing and blocking in "Is This Thing On?" creates a sense of life and visual risk-taking as the story unfolds. The two filmmakers also discussed their collaborative process, with Cooper stating that projects choose him instead of the other way around.
Overall, it's clear that Cooper's personal experiences have not only shaped his creative approach but also given his latest film a hopeful tone. As he continues to push boundaries in his craft, fans can look forward to more thought-provoking and emotionally resonant stories from this talented actor and director.
I think it's really interesting how Bradley Cooper's personal experiences have influenced the tone of his new movie "Is This Thing On?". The way he's able to draw from his own relationships to create a narrative that's both authentic and relatable is truly admirable 
. It just goes to show how important self-reflection can be in shaping one's creative voice 
. And I love how Cooper finds the rhythm of conversations so infectious – it's like he's tapping into something universal, something that resonates with audiences on a deeper level 
. The fact that his writing process is all about capturing that conversational energy is really inspiring to me 
.
. i mean, it's great that his personal life influenced the story, but let's be real, relationships are messy and imperfect 
. it's not like he's gonna make us believe everything is rainbows and butterflies just 'cause he's in love with gigi 
. plus, what's with this "hopeful tone" thing? sounds like some corporate speak to me 
. at the end of the day, it's just a movie about stand-up comedy... not like it's gonna change our lives or anything 
.
especially with his relationship with gigi hadid being a huge influence, it's like he's sharing his own healing journey with us on screen 
. and let's be real, who wouldn't wanna watch a movie about stand-up comedy 
i'm so here for the hopeful tone, too - we need more of that in our movies, you know? 
I was at the movies when 'A Star is Born' came out, remember that? Bradley Cooper's passion project, where he also happened to be the lead? 
Bradley Cooper is literally the ultimate inspiration behind it, idk how he does it but he always brings so much depth to his characters 
anyway, gotta give props to Guillermo del Toro for praising bc's work - that guy knows how to spot talent 
he puts himself into the story and it makes all the difference! i think its dope that he was going through a relationship and still managed to make something hopeful out of it...like u know when ur struggling but u find a way to keep movin' forward? 
also can we talk about how cool is it that he puts on background noise from "The Pat McAfee Show" while writin'? 
i need more info about his creative process, its like so fascinating! 
It's amazing how having a deeper understanding of relationships can bring a sense of hope to the narrative. I'm also curious about how he stays focused during long writing sessions with that podcast on - who knew "The Pat McAfee Show" could be so helpful? 
& how that openness gave the movie a super hopeful vibe 
and omg, bradley's gotta listen to "the pat mcafee show" for 4 hours straight while he writes 
i've been in similar situations where u think ur done but then u realize u're not 
he's so honest about it too, like he says his personal life is giving him a chance to tell stories that are truly relatable 
meanwhile del toro is praising his work but idk man if its really that deep or hes just giving coopers ego a boost 
what's also adorbs is how he drew inspiration from his own relationship with gigi hadid - they're just too cute together 
The fact that he's open about his relationships and how they inspired the hopeful tone of "Is This Thing On?" is actually really inspiring. 
And I love that Cooper finds dialogue so infectious - its like he's tapping into something real and human in his writing process. 
), but Cooper's willingness to bare his soul is actually kinda refreshing. And can we talk about the writing process? Four hours straight of 'The Pat McAfee Show' in the background? That's like my own personal productivity hack 
. Anyway, I'm excited to see what he comes up with next... just don't expect me to be all sappy and emotional about it