[MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERING]
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Welcome
to "Talks at Google."
I'm Eileen Naughton.
And today, we have the
well-known actor but, now,
director, writer,
and songwriter,
Bradley Cooper in our midst to
discuss his directorial debut
film, "A Star is Born," which
he also co-wrote, produced,
and stars in along with
the fabulous Lady Gaga,
who herself was
here once before--
Dave Chappelle, Sam
Elliott; and other stars.
So you've just seen his story.
So I think we're going to
invite Bradley on stage.
Let's give it up
for Bradley Cooper.
[CHEERING]
BRADLEY COOPER: Thank you.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
Great to have you.
BRADLEY COOPER: Hey.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: You're
one of the nicest, hardest
working people in Hollywood.
You're very real.
You keep it real.
You've had an arc as an actor
that has been impressive,
both in theater and numbers--
four Academy Award nominations,
I believe, BAFTAs ans so forth.
But you've entered this
new realm of directing.
And you've kind
gone from what we
would call around here
an individual contributor
role, the actor--
[LAUGHTER]
BRADLEY COOPER:
Wow, [INAUDIBLE]..
EILEEN NAUGHTON: --to a
leader where you have to have
a vision, and you need to--
BRADLEY COOPER: Oh, boy.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
--inspire people.
And then you have budgets,
and you've got technology.
So were you a little bit
scared going into all this?
Or how did it all
roll out for you?
BRADLEY COOPER: You're
absolutely right.
First of all, thank
you for having me.
It's such a pleasure to be here.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Oh, it'
s a hardship to have you.
BRADLEY COOPER: No, but really.
[LAUGHTER]
No, it's kind of-- it's insane.
It's insane.
And I was able to--
you were kind enough to invite
me to Sicily to the Google
Camp, and we showed the movie,
which was really incredible.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: And everyone
was buzzing about it.
BRADLEY COOPER: That
was really great.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: There was not
a dry eye I heard in the place.
BRADLEY COOPER: My
daughter loved it.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Good.
BRADLEY COOPER: Not the
movie, but she liked the camp.
There was a big pool there.
You're so right about budgetary
issues and timing and all
of that stuff.
But I actually
loved all of that.
I loved actually having--
dipping my toe in all
those aspects of it.
And I think that's because--
you're right.
When you have a vision, and
you want to see it through,
I would feel very
odd if I didn't
have a part of the-- it's
because that's part of the road
and how wide it is and how
where the velocity picks up.
You want to have a
say in everything.
Because it winds up--
the finished product is right
now, now, it belongs to you.
So I very much was a
part of all of that.
And I couldn't imagine
not doing it that way.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Anything
really surprise you
about that process and journey?
I've seen so many
interviews of the tight cast
coming together and saying, we
had a magic experience working
as a team, working as a
collaborative, creative group.
It wasn't so much
scripted as enabled
by a clear vision of the story.
And you are just
freeing up Lady Gaga,
Dave Chappelle to
play their parts
in ways they said they'd
never experienced before.
And of course, it's Lady
Gaga's first film debut.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: So.
BRADLEY COOPER: I've
heard them say that.
That makes me so
happy because that
was the goal, to create
an environment where--
as you all know, when you feel
safe, and you feel motivated,
and you also know that
you're called upon
to bring all of yourselves,
that that's the environment
that you can really thrive.
And you go home at
night and think, oh,
wow, that was a
really fruitful day.
I think because I've been in
this business for 20 years,
and I've been around all
different types of environments
in the same setting, I just--
I'm a good listener
and observer.
So I just watched and picked up
everything that works for me.
And I just wanted to
create an environment which
was the culmination of
all of the good parts
and take all the
bad parts out of it,
and then hope that,
in that respect,
I could get the best
out of the people that
entrusted themselves
to me, quite frankly.
I mean, I just couldn't
believe that Lady Gaga
took such a huge risk.
Because it's a big risk.
This isn't one of those projects
where you're like, well,
you know, if it doesn't
work out, you'll be OK.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
Yeah, you [INAUDIBLE]..
BRADLEY COOPER: It's not
really this [INAUDIBLE],,
it's, like, actually,
if it doesn't work out,
you're going to take a big hit.
So there is a lot at stake.
And even for Dave
Chappelle, that
took me like 2 and 1/2 years
to get him because he just
doesn't do this kind of thing.
But he was so willing.
And Sam Elliott,
I've never seen him
play a character that was so
filled with resentment the way
that character was.
And he just threw all
of himself into that.
And my hope is that
it's because they
felt that there was that kind
of inspiring environment.
Which, by the way, I
sort of set the tone,
but everybody else has
to help create that.
Every single crew
member, everybody
has to be on the same page.
And everybody dictates-- I
mean, you know, in your work
environment, if
there's one person that
has an energy that's off,
the whole-- it contaminates
the rest of the team.
So everybody really has
to be on the same page.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: And you
pursued this script for years.
I've seen various
reports-- six years.
You said you pursued Dave
Chappelle for over two years.
So when did you get
the burning idea
to do the fourth incarnation
of "A Star is Born"?
BRADLEY COOPER: It was sort
of like a coming together
of two different things.
I always knew I
wanted to direct.
And I'd worked with
great directors
like David O. Russell
[? or ?] Clint
Eastwood who really allowed me
to be a part of their process.
I was in the editing
room almost every day
for "Silver Linings Playbook."
And Jay Cassidy, who
was David's editor,
he and I worked
together on this movie.
So I always knew
that eventually, I'm
going to have to stop just
saying I'm going to try
to do it and actually do it.
And because I knew that, all
these sort of compositions,
cinematically, would always
fly around in my head.
And I was at a
Metallica concert.
And I had met Lars
Ulrich the night before.
And I said, oh man, I'm
a huge Metallica fan.
And he said, well, come to
the concert tomorrow night.
So I found myself,
12 hours later,
standing behind his drum
kit at Yankee Stadium.
And I could see the
sweat on his back.
And I can also see the
scope of the crowd.
And I thought, this is
an incredible composition
that people don't get to see.
And that was the birth of the
subjective idea of always being
on the stage in the movie.
So in the movie, we're
never in the crowd.
So it was just like
little ideas like that,
thinking about fame,
like what fame can be.
You know, Paparazzi,
and you can watch TMZ,
but what's the experience like?
And to me it's sonic.
And it's like this
cacophony of noise,
where it's like [STATIC NOISE]
and then silence.
And that's the
opening of the movie
is you're thrust into this
thunderdome with this guy.
And then, all of
a sudden, you're
[STATIC NOISE] into this very
small, almost coffin-like
environment.
And that's an emotional
juggernaut for people.
So that was something
I thought of early on.
And then there was just this
property Warner Brothers had.
And I thought, oh, I can
explore all of these things--
family, trauma.
What happens if two people
actually love each other?
There's no infidelity.
It's actually true love.
And even with that, it's hard.
So these were things
I wanted to explore.
And then, this property was
perfect, because it had music.
And you can't hide
when you sing.
And I thought, oh, this would
be the great way to do it.
So really, it was
really a combination.
I never, ever thought
like, you know what's
a thing people should do?
The fourth remake
of "A Star is Born."
EILEEN NAUGHTON: No, no.
Good.
[LAUGHTER]
BRADLEY COOPER: I
definitely didn't do that.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: And this
is one like none other.
So we're all going to
pay money to see it.
[LAUGHTER]
You can't hide if you sing.
You just said that.
You didn't hide.
You took voice
lessons for 18 months.
You learned to play guitar.
And Lady Gaga required
that you take all of the--
do all of the singing live,
that you weren't dubbing it.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: So
what was that all like?
BRADLEY COOPER: Well, the music
is a character in the movie.
It's not like the movie
takes a break and then, all
of a sudden, there's a song.
It actually has everything
to do with what's going on.
It's almost-- it is a scene.
My favorite scene of
Lady Gaga's actually,
acting-wise, is the final song.
Because we watch this character
go through the grieving process
through the song, which I just--
what a feat, acting
feat she did.
So it would have been--
we had no choice
but to sing live.
Now, that's much easier for her.
And I thought, how the
heck am I going to do that?
[LAUGHTER]
And the other thing is,
she's the real deal.
I know I had the nuclear
power of the movie.
It's like, well, at
least I have this thing--
if the movie sucks, at least
there'll be like 10 moments
where she's singing, and
it won't be horrendous.
But I knew I had to lift
the rest of the movie up
to her level, so you believe it.
Otherwise, if you don't
believe me as this character,
you don't believe we're
really on this stage scene
singing in front of people,
if you don't believe
that's "Saturday Night
Live," then there's
no way I'm going
to be able to allow
you to enter into this
world and learn about her.
So there was really no question
that that had to happen.
It was great that she felt
so strongly about it as well.
But I mean, it's part
of the DNA of the film.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: It's a
beautiful story of Jackson
Maine, a fading country music
star with a alcohol problem,
and Ally, who you
discover and encourage,
and you see her rise
through the film.
BRADLEY COOPER: It's funny,
when you say country star.
So when we started
writing it, I was
trying to figure out
where he was from.
And I quite honestly thought,
like, well maybe it's country.
Because I could kind
of like kind of fake
sing and maybe get away with it.
And then as I kept working
and started to fall in love
and create this
character, I swear
if we had like six
more months, he
would have been like
completely heavy metal.
Like it kept getting--
[LAUGHTER]
--it kept getting harder
and harder and harder.
We've talked about
this, actually,
what genre Jack's music
is because it's definitely
not country.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: You're right.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Although, you
do have a twang when you speak
and kind of that
ruddy red face that
looks like you had too much--
BRADLEY COOPER: But
even with the twang--
EILEEN NAUGHTON: --scotch.
BRADLEY COOPER: That's
a good question.
So in terms of his voice,
that was the hardest thing
actually was lowering my
voice just about an octave.
And I wanted to pick
a voice that you
couldn't place geographically.
And Sam Elliott wound up being--
before I even thought about
writing the role for him--
the voice that I studied.
So I would get all of
these tapes of Sam Elliott
interviews.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: That's crazy.
And then you got him.
BRADLEY COOPER: And
then I was doing it.
Because he's born in Sacramento,
which you'd never know
he's from California.
But his mother was from Texas,
so he's got this odd accent
that you can't really place.
And then I was reading Bruce
Springsteen's autobiography.
He was talking about
stealing his father's voice.
That's what he did as a kid.
And I used to always
want to be my dad.
And I thought, oh, what if Sam
Elliott is his older brother,
and he stole his voice?
And so that's how that
whole thing happened.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Wow.
So you both visualize, and
you have auditory things going
through your creative process.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Sounds like.
Speaking about auditory,
there's someone
in the audience who gradually
lost her hearing as a child
and is impressed by how
accurately you portrayed
the frustration and denial
many people experience
when losing their hearing.
So her question is, do you
have any personal experience
with hearing loss?
And how did you study
to portray that aspect
of the role so authentically?
BRADLEY COOPER: Mm.
Well, I'm glad that
you thought that.
Is the person here?
Hi.
Bradley.
Nice to meet you.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm glad you felt that way.
I was born-- I mean,
here's the other thing.
When you get to write the
movie, you cheat all the time
because you just do
everything that's real to you.
Like his choice of drink
is crazy personal for me.
That's my dog, Charlie.
That's my real dog.
AUDIENCE: Aww.
A bunch of my friends are in the
movie who I went to grad school
with.
And the hearing loss--
I wanted him to be
like a prize fighter.
Because in the other
versions of the movies,
he's so obsessed with fame,
and his fame is dwindling.
And I had no interest
in investigating that.
And also, people today,
everybody makes money touring.
And a lot of these bands
that had been maybe
huge back 20 years ago still
make a lot of money touring.
So the reality was he's fine.
So it was more about,
what's the wear and tear?
And it takes a
toll on your body.
And I interviewed and spent
time with tons of musicians.
And the thing that
happens is hearing loss.
That's the number one thing
that goes, which makes sense.
But I was born with a
cholesteatoma in my ear drum.
And it was removed.
And then I was kind of--
I would always jump off
a high places as a kid.
Don't ask me why.
[LAUGHTER]
And I kept puncturing it.
And so I had all
these operations,
like five operations.
I have a hole in my right ear.
So when he's telling her that
story in the bar, that's me.
That's all real.
That's like-- so.
And so I don't
have hearing loss,
but when I have ear infections
I hear that tinnitus sound.
So I know it very well.
And then, it was all
about, in the mixing stage,
recreating that sound
sonically for the audience.
So I'm glad you felt that way.
Thank you.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Beautiful.
You talked about-- in
one of the interviews
I saw-- you just wanted to
be in this to create and make
it real.
BRADLEY COOPER: Mhm.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
So the back story--
you bring a bunch of friends,
some graduate school friends
from New York City, where--
BRADLEY COOPER: From
New York City, yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
--the Actors Guild?
BRADLEY COOPER: The
Actors Studio, yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Studio.
And you've been collecting
people like Sam Elliott
and Gaga over a period of time.
BRADLEY COOPER: I did
a TV show, "Alias,"
and two of those actors are in
the movie, Ron Rifkin and Greg
Grunberg.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Wow.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: So that
can't just be happenstance.
So you've been collecting
talent and ideas.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yes.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: What
was the moment you
knew you could make it real?
Was it when Warner greenlit it?
Or was it just when you knew
you had enough conviction
about and vision for this film
that you could pull it off?
BRADLEY COOPER: I
think it was working
with directors who
were-- allowed me to be
so collaborative with them.
I think if it wasn't
for David O. Russell,
there's no way I would
have had the confidence.
But he really-- it was like
going to film school doing
those three movies,
particularly the two
movies, "Silver
Linings Playbook"
and "American Hustle."
But even when I did
"Alias," I would--
I hated LA.
And I knew no one.
And I only worked
three days a week.
And I had just moved there
for this television show.
So I would just
spend all of my time
on set and in the editing rooms.
And I would get
everybody's dailies back.
I would take them
home-- and that
was when they were on VHS tape.
So I was always
fascinated by the process.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Got it.
BRADLEY COOPER: So I think it
was just a constant just sort
of listening and observing.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: So
once Pharrell Williams
came to visit us.
And he said, you know,
you people are creatives.
You just do it with your mice--
BRADLEY COOPER: Mhm.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: --which is
actually a synonym for coding,
I guess.
But there is some analogy
between editing and knowing
what the end product you're
looking for-- and it's a very
technical process
from just recording--
BRADLEY COOPER: Especially
mixing, mixing sound
and color, oh, yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Are you
expert at that at this point?
Or is that something
that is also
in its own way a
collaborative effort?
BRADLEY COOPER: I
mean, everything
is a collaborative effort.
But no, we spent
months and months.
I mixed every single car
exhaust in this movie.
Because the film itself
is one musical element.
It's all rhythm.
Everything is rhythm in life.
And especially a film, it has
to be one musical element so
that you're not bumping
up against the guardrails
while you're watching, you
feel like you're in good hands.
Those are the best
movies that I like
to watch is I just-- oh,
right, the rhythm is very set.
And you create that
in the editing room.
That is where you create it.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
And then you had
the bold move of actually
filming at Glastonbury
and Coachella, which--
Glastonbury in the UK--
the biggest festival,
music festival in
the UK every summer.
What was that like?
That's the real deal.
BRADLEY COOPER: And
that really came out
of necessity, which I'm
sure you're all aware of.
Sometimes an idea comes
out of what you can't do.
And we had a limited
budget and limited time.
And I thought, well,
it has to be real.
And I watched so
many movies that
had recreated live
performances, and you can really
smell when it's not working.
And I thought-- and actually
Terrence Malick had just
done a movie about songwriters.
And I had happened
to see the trailer.
So I called him, and he was
kind enough to talk to me.
And he said, yeah, I jumped on.
But it's very difficult. So
that gave me the confidence
that it's doable.
And I'd go to
Glastonbury every year
because I'm a huge music fan.
So I knew them.
And they let me go on.
But that was crazy.
We had four minutes in front
of 80,000 people on the pyramid
stage.
And it was--
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Magical.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah,
it was really something.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: And
you're looking at it
this way out onto the crowd.
BRADLEY COOPER: But
getting back for a second
to where you were
talking about earlier--
that's one of the things that I
really do love about the movie
is when Jackson says
during the bar-- you know,
talent comes everywhere.
Everybody's got talent,
but having something
to say and a way to say it
so people will listen to it,
that's a whole other bag.
That's something that we
all have the ability to do.
And if there's one thing
that I hope people take
from the movie is that they--
yeah, find-- what is it
that you want to say?
And how do I want to say it?
And the meta in that I think is
that Lady Gaga did that in this
movie, and I was able to do
that--that we helped each other
do that in this movie.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Very cool.
There's something about
determination and grit
that has to go into pulling
off something this epic.
But also, you kind of jumped
out of your actor skin--
or the place that your fans for
these past 20 years have had
you as an actor and theater
performer into this--
surprise!
He's also a great director.
There's a lot of press
around just the shots--
close-in shots,
lingering shots, like,
just an intense
visual experience
that is, all of a sudden, your
own in your first go at this.
Of course, you've been
in film for a while.
But talk to us a little
bit about that journey.
Did it require
grit, self-belief?
Did you ever doubt yourself?
And are you surprised now at
the reaction of the critics
and the press around, wow,
like, it's a new Bradley?
BRADLEY COOPER: Elia
Kazan said, if you're
going to audition to play a
cowboy, show up with a horse
because people only
know what they see.
So for me, it wasn't
a shock, because I've
been thinking about
shots since I was a kid
and observing movies
and seeing like--
and the movies that I love is
form always follows function.
An arbitrary cool shot--
if I'm watching a movie
and I'm aware as I'm
watching in the
movie, oh, that's
a cool shot, to me that's
not enjoyable as a viewer
of a film.
I want to sort of
afterwards, when
I'm thinking about
how I felt emotionally
say, oh, wow, Martin
Scorsese, that was one
shot as they went
into the Copacabana.
Oh, wow, right.
That's the goal.
And it's all character-based
for this movie.
Jackson takes his hat
off when he's on stage.
He wants to avoid the camera.
She's not even
aware of her talent.
But the movie's telling
you in the beginning.
She comes out of the
bathroom, and she's
in the center of the proscenium.
She's on the stage
already, even though she's
in the bowels of a
building in the bathroom.
So you can do things like
that cinematically with shots.
But it's all based on story.
And then, by the
end of the movie,
he can't avoid the
camera anymore.
So when he's in
the bed with her,
the camera is right on top of
him, that he can't escape it.
So the hope is that you're
feeling these things,
but you're not quite sure why.
But it's because
I'm manipulating it
through the choice of the shot.
And that, to me, is what's
fun about telling a story
cinematically.
That's the whole point.
Otherwise, I never
would have tried
to direct a movie if I
didn't have a point of view
of how I wanted to shoot it.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: I
asked you earlier,
in what we call
the "Green Room,"
whether you're still planning
to sing, play the guitar.
And you said there's
one song you want
to go finish in the studio.
So talk to us a little
bit about that journey
and whether you'd
do it in the shower,
or you're going to go back
into the studio permanently.
BRADLEY COOPER: I
did sing "Shallow"
in the shower at the
hotel the other night.
I was like, can I
still sing that song?
[LAUGHTER]
It was OK, I think.
When it's shower, it all
sounds good, doesn't it?
[CHUCKLES]
[LAUGHTER]
No, I don't think--
I mean, here's the
thing I love about what
I get to do for
a living is I get
to enter into a world
like a sociologist
and learn about
everything and soak it
in not just cerebrally
but also sensorially,
and then get to transfer
it into some sort
of ritualistic performance.
So it's a wonderful
way of learning.
And this was incredible.
It took four years, six years
when I thought about it.
That's when I was at the
concert with Metallica.
And the truth is, I've
been lucky enough--
there's something else that
I feel that obsessed by now.
So my head and my heart
is somewhere else now.
And I only know how to do
this if I am completely
in love with it.
Because, as you said, it's true.
It takes a tremendous
amount of work.
I mean, I edited the movie
in my house, thank God.
Because we were pulling 16-hour
days for like six months.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Wow.
BRADLEY COOPER: And I just had
a kid, so there was that too.
I'm always wondering if
she's going to like grow up
and like--
because of the set--
because we edit so loud.
And it was right
below her bedroom.
And I thought, oh,
she's going to hear
this music for the first
six months of her life.
[LAUGHTER]
I wonder if she's going to
like hate our music or love it.
So I don't know how to do
anything to this degree
unless I completely love it.
That said, I absolutely
enjoyed singing.
But I hope that
what I want to do,
at least for the next decade
or two, is to make movies.
But there was that
song, "Too Far Gone,"
that's in the cop bar.
And I only wrote the
first verse and chorus.
And the other day,
I had this thought
of the second
verse and a bridge,
so I'm going to go finish that.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: So he's
a songwriter-- it's--
multitalented.
You just said you
are a bit obsessive.
So what are you
obsessing about now?
BRADLEY COOPER: I
don't want to say,
because if it does
happen, then it's like--
[CHUCKLES]
EILEEN NAUGHTON: All right.
BRADLEY COOPER: But hopefully
you'll like it in five years
when it comes out.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: I'm
sure we'll like it.
[LAUGHTER]
A number of us have
watched your career
and know your
characters so well.
And I remember
"Wedding Crashers"
you played, so effectively,
a despicable guy.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
BRADLEY COOPER:
Oh, that's funny.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: It was--
BRADLEY COOPER: Sack Lodge.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: It was Sack--
that football game.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
And I love how he would
like put his tie over
when he would beat somebody up.
And it made no sense.
It was like, what?
He doesn't want to
mess his tie up.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
You did it so well.
BRADLEY COOPER: [LAUGHS]
EILEEN NAUGHTON: What's
your favorite character?
BRADLEY COOPER: That I played?
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Yeah.
Is it Jack--
Jackson?
BRADLEY COOPER: No.
I have to say I think it's
still Joseph Merrick when
I did the "Elephant Man."
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Yeah.
That makes sense.
Yeah.
That was a year-long
run on Broadway?
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
Broadway in London.
Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
That's a lot of effort.
BRADLEY COOPER: Yeah.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: Because
sometimes two shows a day.
So you made a specific
choice in making Jack--
Jackson's character an
alcoholic and a drug
addict who's morose and verbally
cruel, but he's not violent.
BRADLEY COOPER: No.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: So someone
has asked this question.
It seemed to me you were
pointing to the power of words.
Could you talk about the
development and nuance
of building that character?
BRADLEY COOPER: Mm.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
I mean, it's for you now.
But to me, he's
a character who's
stuck at 13, 14 years old
when that traumatic experience
happened to him.
And everything comes from that.
And he hasn't cultivated any
other aspect of his life except
for his music.
Because the world was telling
him this is what is important.
This is what we want from you.
And he was able to share that.
Now he's 43.
And we meet him.
And we could tell
his body is starting
to take a toll, his hearing.
And this gets old if
you don't cultivate
the rest of your life.
But to me, he's somebody that--
that's what he loves.
And he still has an
interest in people
and music and love of the work.
And that's why he's been
sort of blown away by her.
But I don't see him
as cruel at all.
In fact, the only really
cruel thing he says
is that horrible thing
he says in the bath
tub, which he doesn't even
remember because he's so--
EILEEN NAUGHTON: [INAUDIBLE]
BRADLEY COOPER: --intoxicated.
But even the way he says
that, it's almost in this--
it's not in an aggressive way.
So I never saw him as--
first of all, he's
also not a wordsmith.
He's somebody who talks a lot.
He chooses his moments.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: [INAUDIBLE]
BRADLEY COOPER: You
know what I mean?
I just I feel a lot of--
I care about him a lot.
I wish that he was taken care
of more by his older brother.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: And
by himself, too, I
think is an important
lesson to us all.
Once Ally is discovered, we do
see Jack's hesitant reaction
to her transformation.
What should we understand
about Ally's reaction
and also like Lady Gaga's own
experience of that character
transformation, which doesn't
really parallel her own?
BRADLEY COOPER: No, not at all.
Yeah.
The main difference with
the other movies I think
are these two characters.
And that's what we're
sort of circling around.
In the other movies,
the male character
is jealous of her
fame and doesn't like
that he's losing the spotlight.
And she is a character
who's sort of an ingenue
and looks at the world,
the world is my oyster.
I don't know what's going to
happen, but this is all great.
These two characters, it's
a guy who doesn't even
think about fame.
It's a byproduct that
he's had to deal with.
He just cares about,
sort of, trying
to find a pure
moment to fuel him.
She's somebody
who's 31 years old
and has been told by the world,
or by corporate music driven
by men, that her physical
appearance does not
merit her songwriting ability.
So they don't want her
to sing the very songs
that she's written.
And so she's relegated
to singing in a bar,
in a dark bar, and singing a
cover, not even her own music.
So that's a totally
different character.
That's a character who's
just about given up.
But she can't quite give up.
She still has that
need to perform.
But it's tucked away
in this little corner.
And so that's what I
loved about this story is
these two characters meet.
And when she's thrust
into this world that
is the mechanized world
of music in a way,
she's taken in a
different direction.
But I was always conscious that
she still had a voice in it.
When they have that
fight in the bathtub,
she says, yeah,
those are my lyrics.
You have a problem
with my lyrics?
Her manager wanted her to
go blonde, and she went red.
She still had a choice.
But she did sort of lose
her way, as one does.
But it's a wayward
road, a career.
And I always thought
that was his shortcoming.
Is that-- just because
she's doing something else
doesn't mean that
it's not as truthful.
It's just the road
is very winding.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
Our talk is going
to be aired on YouTube
which has, on any day,
more than a billion and a
half viewers around the world.
BRADLEY COOPER: And a bit
plot point in our movie.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: There you are.
So I'd love to just
ask you what you think
these-- the platforms
that we have now,
these technical
platforms-- but YouTube,
in specific, how has
it enabled creativity?
How do you view it?
Do you spend time consuming
content on other devices?
BRADLEY COOPER: I
mean, in its best form,
what these platforms
and technology has
given us is the means by
which we can create story
in various forms,
which is incredible.
I was talking to
somebody yesterday
in Dallas about, what took
Stanley Kubrick six years
to develop because he wanted to
have some sort of flowing shot,
you could do with
your iPhone now.
And then you could post it.
And the fact that you
can get content out there
is just incredible.
So it kind of goes
back again-- you just
have to figure out what
it is you want to say
and how to say it.
Because the means by
which you can tell
that story are at our disposal.
It's almost too easy.
That's the other
thing about shots.
But form, to me at least, form
still has to follow function.
It also has to do with, what
is it that you want to say
and how do you want to say it?
And then, use technology in
order to help you convey that.
EILEEN NAUGHTON:
Well, Bradley, thank
you so much for having
something beautiful to say.
And the way in which you say
it in "A Star is Born" is--
people are reacting in rapture.
It opens October 5.
We can't wait-- those of
us who weren't here to see
the preview--
to see it live.
And I just want to thank you
for coming to Google and--
BRADLEY COOPER: Thank you.
Thanks for having me.
EILEEN NAUGHTON: --being
part of "Talks with Google."
BRADLEY COOPER: Thank you.
[CHEERING]
