Cooper credits pal Arnett for helping him get sober
Oscar-nominated actor says he battled addiction in his 20s
Bradley Cooper got candid about his struggles with drug addiction in his 20s and how Will Arnett made him realize he needed to get sober.
Cooper, 47, discussed his ongoing difficulty with “self-esteem” on Arnett’s “SmartLess” podcast with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes on Monday and how his longtime friend jump-started his journey to addressing his mental health.
The Oscar-nominated actor shared that when he moved to Los Angeles for his role in “Alias” he felt like he “was back in high school,” which affected his selfesteem. “I could not get into any clubs, no girls wanted to look at me. I was totally depressed.”
He was later “fired” from “Alias” and dealing with an injury to his Achilles’ tendon.
In order to overcompensate for his insecurities, Cooper said he adopted a “mean humor” based on popular comedians at the time. However, he ended up discovering that he was just plain mean to others.
The actor opened up a dinner party with Arnett when he was 29 that made him realize he hit “rock bottom.”
“Will was like, ‘Hey man, do you remember we had dinner the other night? How do you think that went?’” Cooper recalled. “I remember being at the dinner thinking I was so funny, and I thought these two guys who were my heroes thought that I was so funny. I was like ‘I thought it was great. I thought I was killing.’”
He added: “Will Arnett was like, ‘You were a real (expletive), man. You were a real (expletive).’”
Cooper continued: “That was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol. The guy that I think is doing mean humor is telling me the truth and it changed my entire life.”
He also recalled Arnett asking him if he had taken his dog out yet and it was already 4 p.m. That was a pivotal moment for Cooper.
“I was so lost and I was addicted to cocaine,” Cooper shared. “Will took that risk of having that hard conversation with me in July of 2004 and that put me on a path of deciding to change my life. It truly was Will Arnett. He is the reason.”
Arnett reflected on Cooper’s journey and told his friend, “It has been awesome seeing you in this place and seeing you comfortable, nothing has made me happier.”