Bradley Cooper has said that he thought his battle with drugs and alcohol would kill him. The 48-year-old actor opened up about the lows of his life in a recent episode of the National Geographic series ‘Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge.’
“You definitely had some wild years?” survivalist Grylls, 49, asked Bradley. “In terms of alcohol and drugs, yeah, but nothing to do with fame,” Bradley replied. “But I was lucky. I got sober at 29 years old, and I’ve been sober for 19 years. Very lucky.”
Bradley had previously said that he found comfort in substances after he severed his Achilles tendon and “got fired/quit” the series ‘Alias’ back in 2003. He has opened up about his cocaine and alcohol addiction in the past.
‘I definitely had a nihilistic attitude towards life’
Bradley said his journey towards recovery began after his then-roommate and actor Will Arnett sat him down and spoke with him in 2004. However, after his father died of lung cancer in 2011, Bradley’s struggle with addiction began again. “I definitely had a nihilistic attitude towards life after, just like I thought ‘I’m going to die,’” he recalled. “I don’t know, it wasn’t great for a little bit until I thought I have to embrace who I actually am and try to find a peace with that, and then it sort of evened out.”
Bradley eventually survived the storm and went on to direct ‘A Star Is Born,’ where he appeared opposite Lady Gaga. He played addict Jackson Maine.
“It made it easier to be able to really enter in there,” Bradley said of his Oscar-nominated performance in the 2018 film. “And thank goodness I was at a place in my life where I was at ease with all of that so I could really let myself go.”
He added, “I’ve been very lucky with the roles I’ve had to play. It’s been a real blessing. I hope I get to keep doing it.” Bradley is set to appear in the Netflix film ‘Maestro,’ a Leonard Bernstein biopic.