Bradley Cooper has been M.I.A. during the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 press tour.
While Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana have been traveling the world, Bradley has been busy directing and starring in the remake of A Star Is Born, as well as taking care of daughter Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper. But he agreed to do a sole press appearance onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show Friday. "I don't know if you know this," Ellen DeGeneres told her guest, "but you have a baby."
"What?" Bradley asked, feigning surprise.
"When you get home you should look for it," Ellen said. "It's somewhere in your house."
The conversation quickly turned to A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga. "She's unbelievable," Bradley said. "She really is incredible."
Working with her made Bradley realize just how talented she really is. "Ellen, do you sing? I thought I sang. I was like, 'Yeah, I sing.' It's so hard to sing! Like, people cook—but then there's cooking. I'm a good cook, but to be an amazing chef...So, singing, I had no idea. I would get fatigued at the end of even a phrase...I've really been awakened to the phenomenon of singing. I just hope I can be believable enough so you can watch Stefani—that's her name, Gaga—just shine. Because she's incredible," the actor/director said. "I just have to make sure at least you believe my character, so she can then be incredible."
After reviewing dailies for the film, Bradley realized he needed to trim his beard. It became so bushy last year, he said, that some people thought he was actor Zach Galifianakis "for a little bit. I did get a couple, 'Alan! Hangover!' I was like, 'Close! Close! Almost! Two over to the left.'"
Before the interview ended, Ellen again tried to broach the subject of fatherhood, given that it was Bradley's first time appearing on a talk show since his daughter was born in March. "I know you don't want to talk about the baby. I just want to say, I knew you'd be a good father when I saw you in American Sniper," Ellen teased. "Let's show the clip of how good he is with a baby!"
"I can't believe you!" Bradley said. "We already went through this before!" As they laughed and re-watched the oft-ridiculed scene together, he admitted, "It never gets old! It never gets old!"