“I stole from all three of those guys”: Before Maestro, Bradley Cooper Went Full Method for 1 Flop Movie by Imitating Gordon Ramsey

Not only in Maestro, but Bradley Cooper also go full method in 2015 comedy flick Burnt in which he played chef Adam Jones. He did it by by spending time with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, and Marco Pierre White.

The recent directorial and acting project of Bradley Cooper, Maestro paid off. Not only did the movie get appraisals from fans but also from critics alike. The exploration of the life of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein was shown in this film.

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

But for this film, Cooper gets credits for his dual role as director and as an actor. The Licorice Pizza actor even co-wrote, and co-produced the film. He even followed a strict method-acting regimen. Though, this is not the first time he used it to make the film authentic.

The 2015 comedy film Burnt also saw the method acting of Cooper. The actor drew inspiration from chefs Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, and Marcus Wareing for his angry rockstar chef character.

Bradley Cooper Spent Time with Big Chefs Like Gordon Ramsay to Prepare for his Role in Burnt

Bradley Cooper is a rare leading man who enjoys acting. He always takes his roles so seriously, and for his roles, he always goes beyond.

Bradley Cooper in Burnt

The 40-year-old who portrayed chef Adam Jones researched his role by spending time with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, and Marco Pierre White. The Pennsylvania native incorporated distinct characteristics from each chef in his performance. He told Yahoo!:

“I created a guy I see as a mixture of the three guys I studied: Marcus Wareing, Gordon Ramsey, and Marco Pierre White. He’s a combination. Little things he does, physical things, are basically things I stole from all three of those guys… It wasn’t conscious, but going back and watching the movie I see, ‘Oh yeah: That’s him… that’s him… (and) that’s him.”

Despite featuring the star, the film faced flop fortunes because of poor marketing, bad timing of the release, and competition from other films like The Martian and Goosebumps.

The incorporation of method acting shows the dedication of the Marvel star to his roles, no matter if he’s playing a composer or a chef. In the midst of that, let’s talk about one more interesting thing which is—for the method acting in Maestro, Cooper took inspiration from Christian Bale.

Bradley Cooper Took Inspiration From Christian Bale For the Maestro Role

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

In Maestro, Bradley Cooper‘s makeup (despite controversy) is remarkable. For his makeup, he went for over six hours of work every morning even before filming.

The Hollywood star sat down with fellow director Spike Lee in a Variety interview and said, “I was playing Lenny throughout his life. I would spend three to six hours in the makeup trailer every day before the crew arrived. It was hilarious, because on days when I was young Lenny, the energy of the set was faster and we got more done. And then when I was old Lenny, it had a slower gear. If you ask the crew or cast, Lenny directed the movie.”

Cooper had to stay in character for the rest of the film. And for that, he learned a lot by watching Christian Bale on the set of American Hustle.

Watch Maestro on Netflix and Burnt on Prime Video.