Part of an actor's job is to truly disappear into their character, and therefore take the audience on a journey on screen. The most acclaimed actors do just this, transforming their body, physicality, and voice in order to become someone else. Bradley Cooper's upcoming musical drama A Star Is Born is a great example of this, as both Lady Gaga and Cooper himself had to make transformations in order to become their respective characters. Cooper had to become an aging rocker, and took on a new voice to play celebrity Jackson Maine. It turns, out he actually lowered his grovel a full octave below his natural voice. He recently spoke to the importance of finding this vocal range, saying:
Your voice is everything as an actor. It's everything. It's everything. And if you're not connected to your voice, it's over. It's impossible. It's like plugging in the electrical cord to truth, right?
Touche, Coop. While Bradley Cooper is a very experienced actor, he still needs to purposefully carve out each role. And considering he was also directing A Star Is Born, it was especially important for Cooper to find Jackson Maine within him. Otherwise, how could he also direct the entire project?
Bradley Cooper's comments to The New York Times prove how methodically he approached his work as an actor-- something that was no doubt especially challenging due to his multi-faceted role for A Star Is Born. In addition to playing an alcoholic rocker, Cooper also wrote and directed the movie-- in addition to working with Lady Gaga on songwriting.
Finding his character's voice was something Bradley Cooper has been open about regarding A Star Is Born. Cooper took the research and creation of his character very seriously, taking inspiration from both musicians and actors. For Jackson's vocal range, the actor/director emulated that of actor Sam Elliot. Elliot plays Jackson's big brother Bobby Maine, so Bradley Cooper attempted the same signature growl.
Aside from his speaking voice, Bradley Cooper also had to work on his singing voice for A Star Is Born. Jackson Maine is a massively successful recording artist, so Cooper had to have enough vocal flair and stage presence to make the character's long career in the industry believable. Cooper has been honest about his trepidation about singing live for the project, especially the added pressure of having to perform alongside the likes of Lady Gaga. But pop singer was insistent that they sang live, as the duo recorded scenes in iconic venues like Coachella and Saturday Night Live.
You can catch Bradley Cooper using a brand new voice when his directorial debut A Star Is Born arrives in theaters on October 5, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
