Bradley Cooper Tells Spike Lee All About ‘Maestro,’ Having No Chairs on Set and Adopting Christian Bale’s Method Acting Style

variety.com:

Bradley Cooper is struggling to remember the name of the film for which he unsuccessfully auditioned in the early aughts, and Spike Lee, the director who rejected him, isn’t much help.

The two men are discussing “Maestro,” Cooper’s penetrating look at the marriage of musical genius Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre (played by a note-perfect Carey Mulligan) when the conversation shifts to this first meeting. “You were so kind to me,” Cooper says. “I was losing my mind because, as a young boy growing up in Philadelphia, ‘Do the Right Thing’ messed me up in the best way.” And though Lee didn’t hire Cooper that day, he’s become a fan of his work as well as a friend — the two bonded on the Oscar circuit when Lee was up for “BlacKkKlansman” and Cooper was promoting “A Star Is Born.” Lee thinks Cooper has outdone himself with “Maestro,” which he produced, co-wrote, directed and stars in, frequently high-fiving Cooper with an enthusiastic “Give me some.” SPIKE LEE: I’ve seen “Maestro” three times.

It’s the bomb, man. You were the director and the lead of the film. How’d you do that? Give me the science. BRADLEY COOPER: I spent 20 years acting in movies.

I was lucky enough that I had filmmakers who recognized that I don’t think like an actor — that I actually think in terms of the whole story.