Bradley Cooper, director and star of his new version of A Star Is Born, and singer-actress Lady Gaga gave a rousing press conference today at the Venice Film Fest, where the couple said they bonded over their shared Italian roots.
The eagerly anticipated movie, which is Cooper’s directing debut, world premieres tonight at the 2018 Venice Film Fest. There’s an embargo on reviews until the public screening, so stay tuned for our review later tonight.
“I didn’t know you were Italian. I remember when we first met, after 10 minutes we were eating homemade food that she cooked – I love to eat – and that was actually a huge bond that we both came from East Coast Italian-American families. So we had a real synchronicity on that level from our upbringing,” said Cooper, who confessed that he almost instantly “fell in love with her face and eyes.”
Making an impressive arrival, looking like an Old Hollywood diva, Lady Gaga said that the main challenge for her in playing Ally was to show her vulnerability.
As co-star and helmer, Cooper helped her channel that by making her comfortable and removing her signature makeup off her face on the first day of shooting.
The Grammy-nominated actress said the film’s story has endured the test of time because it’s a universal tale. “It’s a story about love and about what Bradley refers to as the human plight of addiction. It was a remarkable experience for me.”
Lady Gaga said she identified with Ally’s early struggles to become a professional singer: “When I started out in the music industry and decided to be a singer and go for professional career, I was 19 years and I hit the ground running. I was dragging my piano from dive bar to dive bar to get jobs so that I could perform.”
She faced challenges because she didn’t have “the right look.” “When I started out, I was not the most beautiful girl in the room. They wanted to take my songs and give them to other singers, but I refused and held on to them.”
My Own Vision
“They made suggestions about how I should look,” she added. “I didn’t want to be viewed like other women, be sexy like other women. I wanted to have my own vision.”
Inspired by Metallica
Cooper said that the film’s look was inspired by a Metallica concert: “I’m a huge fan of Metallica. About six years ago I was at Metallica concert standing behind the drum and I saw the scope of it, and I thought, wow, this composition is incredible and that’s what it feels to be on stage, to be a rock star. So in my movie you’re always on the stage.”
Time is Biggest Currency
Cooper loved the directing experiences: “I’m 43, and I feel that time is biggest currency and I have to utilize it to the best degree as possible. This film took four years, and if I can continue to do what I love, if Warner allows me to continue to tell these stories, then that’s what I’ll do.”