Bradley Cooper Says Being Rejected By Michael Mann For a Johnny Depp Film Kept Him Driven For Years

Michael Mann wrote Bradley Cooper a letter of rejection that completely changed his life and his career.

Bradley Cooper has been at the pinnacle of Hollywood superstardom for several years now. He has become a critically acclaimed actor, director, and producer, with more than a few Oscar nominations under his belt. Cooper has been an integral part of masterpieces and has climbed his way to the respect he has today, something that has never been an easy task for anyone.

Bradley Cooper in Maestro (2023)

While doing a round table interview with some of Hollywood’s finest directors, Cooper revealed what drove him to continue navigating the challenging world of the film industry. The actor spoke directly to respected filmmaker, Michael Mann and told him that it was all thanks to his rejection that he kept trying as an actor.

Bradley Cooper Revealed That Michael Mann Rejected Him

Getting rejected from a role or being passed up for a better actor is nothing new in Hollywood. Directors are known for being very picky when it comes to choosing who they want to cast in their projects and this means a lot of trial and error. Naturally, any actor who has made it big in the business has some or other story about a time when getting rejected from a role stuck with them. During the roundtable interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bradley Cooper revealed his, which happened to feature another person on that table, Michael Mann.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in A Star is Born

“I’m gonna try not to get emotional, but you know, I’ve been an actor for so many years, still an actor. And one thing I learned from this man (Michael Mann). I put myself on tape for Public Enemies, years and years ago, and I didn’t get it.” 

Public Enemies was a 2009 crime film that was directed by Mann. It featured an exceptional cast, with actors like Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, and Marion Cotillard. During this interview, Cooper revealed that he auditioned to be a part of this film, sending in a tape to Mann to be a part of this movie. Unfortunately, he did not get a part in it. However, rejection wasn’t all that Cooper received from the director.

Michael Mann Wrote Bradley Cooper a Letter

Bradley Cooper revealed that on top of his rejection from Public Enemies, he received a letter from Michael Mann. In this letter, the highly respected director started by thanking him for auditioning for his movie. This was followed up by Mann telling him that he saw something special in the actor, and to keep acting. This was such a significant thing for Cooper that he ended up keeping this letter on his bookshelf in the years to come.

Bradley Cooper in Burnt

“And he wrote me a letter. I got a letter from Michael Mann saying ‘Thank you for auditioning,’ and you know, ‘I see something in you,’ And I kept that on my bookshelf for so many years.”

The actor told Mann that he had no idea how big of an impact this letter had on him. He mentioned how important this one letter was for his confidence in himself, and his capabilities that once he gained influence in the industry himself, he made a point to follow a similar practice. Cooper now always writes to anyone who auditions for him, trying to help them.