Bradley Cooper Really Wants An Oscar, But Does He Deserve It?
If you are like me, part of the fun of award season is seeing all the nominees that would make some form of history if they won. So the story of Bradley Cooper, who has yet to win a Best Actor award, should be right up my alley. A big name looking to finally get recognition for his work? It sounds nice, but he is honestly just a hard person to root for.
Does Cooper Have The Star Power?
To be clear, there are no horrible scandals surrounding Bradley Cooper that make me ambivalent towards him getting a Best Actor award. He just doesn’t feel like he has actually done enough to warrant his supposed A-lister status that he is viewed with.
If I asked you to name your top three Bradley Cooper films, would you struggle? Would you be able to honestly say that his most recognizable roles are even award worthy? You might know he plays Rocket Raccoon, but something tells me that is never going to get him the big awards he wants.
Cooper Doesn’t Have The Filmography Of An Oscar Winner
Compare Bradley Cooper’s stardom to that of someone like Leonardo DiCaprio, who also struggled for years to get his big award win. Even prior to DiCaprio winning for The Revenant, he had already delivered multiple iconic performances. Everyone remembers his star making role as Jack in Titanic, and from there he had major roles like Billy Costigan in The Departed, Calvin J. Candie in Django Unchained, and Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Any one of those roles could have snagged DiCaprio a Best Actor win and I’m sure critics wouldn’t have complained. Bradley Cooper is just lacking that filmography.
The Beginning Of Cooper’s Attempts At An Oscar
Bradley Cooper’s first big award season movie was Silver Linings Playbook in 2012, which saw him get a Best Actor nomination. Prior to this, he was doing a lot of comedies like Failure to Launch, He’s Just Not That Into You, and The Hangover.
You could tell Cooper was looking to show more of his serious side, as he began taking projects with heavier subject matter, like American Sniper which he also produced. Once again, he got the Best Actor nomination, but the prize went to another.
A Star Is Born
From there, Bradley Cooper’s efforts to solidify himself as a serious creator intensified. In 2018, he did his most ambitious project yet–starring in, directing, writing, and producing A Star is Born. The movie was nominated for Best Picture, Cooper for Best Actor, and Lady Gaga for Best Actress—none of which won.
Now Cooper recently just put all the same work into Maestro, only to fall short yet again. Despite giving it his all repeatedly, Cooper continues to lose out.
Is Cooper Desperate For An Oscar?
The comparisons between Bradley Cooper and Leonardo DiCaprio also come down to them being the same age. But DiCaprio’s trajectory has undeniably been higher. As Cooper’s efforts to claim his prize seem to be intensifying, some are starting to find his behavior desperate, like he is intentionally seeking out Oscar-bait roles.
Maybe as he ages he knows his time to cement his legacy in the eyes of critics is on a ticking clock now. Maybe continuing to be overlooked is making him doubt if he is as good as he thinks he is.
Nothing against Bradley Cooper the person, I have hardly heard a bad word about him. But maybe as an actor, he just is not at that top level. Rather than being an award season underdog to root for, maybe he will just always be a perpetual runner up. Instead of getting the critical acceptance he craves, it could be that he will just have to accept he is not as good as he thinks he is.
