Although Bradley Cooper appears to be a man with a lot of love to give, he began to question this when his daughter was born.
The 49-year-old Hangover actor spoke out about how he struggled to build a relationship with his now-seven-year-old daughter in her early years.
He has one kid, Lea, with his former partner and Russian model, Irina Shayk, 38.
The couple gave birth to their daughter in March 2017 and ended their four-year romance in June 2019.
Shayk has previously hailed Cooper as the ‘greatest father Lea and I could think of,’ although his paternal instincts took some time to kick in.
Last year, the Hollywood heavyweight joined Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast to discuss his path into parenthood, and he didn’t shy away from unpleasant topics.
Cooper told the comic that he was frequently perplexed when parents said they were prepared to ‘die in a second for their children.’
At first, the A Star Is Born star didn’t feel the same way about Lea, unlike most parents who would willingly risk everything for their children.
“The first eight months—I don’t even know if I really love the kid,” Cooper continued. “It’s awesome. That’s cool. I’m seeing this thing transform. That is my experience. I am fascinated by it. I really enjoyed taking care of it. Would I die if someone came in with a gun?”
“It has only been a few months!” he joked.
Cooper then claimed that ‘all of a sudden’ his sentiments for tiny Lea changed completely, and he realized he would do anything to protect her, without question.
The American Sniper star then talked about his daughter’s tremendous influence on his life.
“I’m not sure I’d be alive if I wasn’t a dad,” he went on. “I just needed someone to say, ‘We’re going to drop this massive anchor.'” I’m like, “Why?” We are speeding! I have just received an update on the boat, and I am aware of the direction of the wind.
“They say, ‘No, no, no, there’s a tsunami coming in, and you need an anchor, so we’re going to drop it.’
This will dictate all your actions moving forward. Your DNA will alert you to the existence of something greater than yourself.
Cooper took some time to reconcile his feelings about becoming a parent, but his role in Maestro filled him with emotion.
The actor played Leonard Bernstein, an American composer and conductor, in the 2023 biography and appeared obviously distraught when addressing his death in an interview in February 2024.
Despite never having met Bernstein, the actor responded, “Oh absolutely, dude,” when asked if he missed him. It’s difficult to talk about.
“He was with me the entire time. His aura has made its way to me, and I truly feel like I know him.”