14 DAY TRIAL // Like most actors considered sure contenders for the Academy Awards 2015, Bradley Cooper is doing a bit of campaigning too. However, unlike many other actors in the Oscars race, he’s making sure his campaign is much more subtle, with emphasis on how he’s transformed himself from the king of rom-coms and light action flicks, into a serious thespian.
The cover on the latest issue of W magazine, The Movie Issue, dedicated to the most outstanding performances of 2014, is proof of that, because Cooper just agreed to make himself look quite silly for art’s sake.
Cooper bares all for “American Sniper”
Attached to this article is a photo of the cover: it shows Cooper striking a very Chaplin-style pose, wearing Louis Vuitton white pants with suspenders. He’s looking away from the camera, but you can tell that the amount of white makeup powder on his face is meant to drive home the Chaplin comparison – either that, or some parallel with a mime.
However, that’s not the most revealing shot of the actor included in this issue of the magazine. That one would be the photo available at the W website, which shows Cooper striking the same pose (still looking away from the camera, to the side) and holding white trousers and jacket in front of his naked body, to protect his modesty.
On the floor by his naked feet is a pair of never-worn J.W. Anderson white shoes.
This photo also comes with a quote from the actor about how he got to train and live with real-life SEALs while doing research for “American Sniper,” which is believed to win him the much-coveted Oscar for Best Actor.
Impressive transformation, an impressive track record
Until “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle,” few actually believed Cooper had it in him: he was always more than just an average actor, but he seemed to be doing mostly fluff stuff, comedies and rom-coms and films that didn’t really challenge him and make him put his acting chops on full display.
Then he did these two movies, and the award nominations and wins and critical praise were piled on him almost overnight. All of a sudden, Cooper was a force to be reckoned with, a talent that could carry a picture if only he was given the right material.
Presumably, this is what director Clint Eastwood did with “American Sniper”: he gave Cooper the chance to really prove himself, to shine. For the role, he gained a lot of muscle mass and spent months learning all the mannerisms of real-life Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, on whose life the film is based.
Critics note that the result is mind-blowing, that Cooper completely immersed and lost himself in the role, managing to do justice to a complex character and accomplished military man who also happened to be one of the deadliest snipers in US history.