BRADLEY Cooper has been spotted looking completely unrecognizable as the Broadway composer Leonard Bernstein in shocking new photos for his new film Maestro.
The A Star is Born actor has taken on the role of portraying the historical composer of West Side Story in a new Netflix film set to release in 2023.
Bradley, 47, looks entirely unrecognizable as the makeup team for Maestro transformed him into an elderly Leonard.
Netflix released behind-the-scenes shots from the movie and Bradley’s fans can’t believe his complete aged transformation.
Bradley has confirmed with Variety that filming on the production began earlier this month.
He told the outlet Hollywood director Steven Spielberg originally intended to direct the biographical film and wanted Bradley to star in it.
Read More on Bradley
However, at the time Bradley was still getting acclaim from A Star is Born and turned Steven down.
He was more interested in writing and directing his own movies rather than acting more someone else.
Variety reported he told Steven: “I always felt like I could play a conductor, but may I research the material and see if I can write and direct it?”
Steven was kind enough to trust Bradley with his dream project.
FANS REACT
Carey Mulligan is cast to star opposite Bradley in Maestro as the composer’s wife and appeared beside him in several of the new photos shared on Twitter.
Bradley is dressed up as a younger version of Leonard in his photos beside Carey, but fans couldn’t get over the amazing costume of Bradley as the older Leonard.
One fan exclaimed: “Dang! He even has white arm hairs! Such attention to detail! Whoever is the makeup/hair person(s) on that film needs to win some major awards.”
A second said: “That makeup is incredible.”
Yet a third chimed in: “What a transformation!”
BRADLEY’S NIGHTMARE
Last year in November, Bradley revealed he was “held up at knifepoint” in New York City while on his way to pick up his daughter from school back in 2019.
Bradley said he initially thought the attacker was going to ask for an autograph and not hold a knife up to him.
At the time, Bradley told Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast that he quickly realized he’d gotten “way too comfortable” in NYC when he found himself being held up at knifepoint at a subway station.
He said: “I used to walk around New York City all the time with these [headphones] on, this was pre-pandemic, and I was on the subway [at] 11:45 to pick up Lea downtown at Russian school.
“And I got held up at knifepoint. It was pretty insane. I realized I had gotten way, way too comfortable in the city.”
Bradley said his “guard was down” as he hung out by the end of the subway platform, which is where he usually wait.
He continued: “I felt somebody coming up. I thought, ‘Oh they want to take a photo or something,’ and as I turned, I’m up against the post like it’s the French Connection or some s**t, and I turned, I looked down and I see a knife.”
In shock from it all, the A Star is Born actor recalled just thinking how the three-inches-long knife looked “nice,” like it had “some history,” before coming to terms with the situation he was in.
The scary experience was also a cinematic one of sorts for him, as he could barely hear what was going on around him or if the alleged perpetrator was saying anything because he was listening to music.
He explained: “So, it’s scored, the whole thing was scored. I can’t remember [what I was listening to].
“I look up, I see the person’s eyes, and I’m taken by how young they are.”
Recovering quickly from his surprise by everything happening, Bradley said he elbowed the guy and his knife away from him and ran as fast as he could, hopping over the turnstile on the way out.
Before he got too far away, he said he “hid” by the entrance so that he could take a few photos of the guy who allegedly held him up.
BRADLEY AND IRINA
Bradley shares his Lea with ex Irina Shayk.
The couple ended their relationship in mid-2019 as he focused on his career and the two spent copious amounts of time apart.
That year, a source told People: “They were living totally separate lives. If he was in L.A., she’s out of town, and if she was in town, he was out of town.”
Rumors recently started circling that the two might be back together after photos showed them walking together in NYC back in 2021.
Read More On The Celeb Report
They were seen walking arm-in-arm in a park, and while neither had confirmed whether the rumors were accurate, fans were wondering if their romance may have been rekindled.
Hollywood Life later confirmed: “Bradley and Irina are not getting back together. They get together often for their daughter, but that chapter is closed and they have both moved on.”
