Before slipping into the shoes of Leonard Bernstein in The Maestro and diligently training to reproduce the gestures of this great musical genius, Bradley Cooper had already tried his hand at training a few years earlier in the film A Star Is Born (2018).
In this fourth version, the actor plays Jackson, a somewhat forgotten country star who discovers a very promising young singer. As they fall madly in love, Jackie elevates Ellie to the forefront and turns her into an artist adored by the public. Soon eclipsed by the young woman’s success, he becomes increasingly uncomfortable with his own downfall…
Pop music star Lady Gaga is standing in front of him. To match the singer’s technique, Cooper had to take private guitar and piano lessons, as well as singing lessons with coach Roger Love: “At first, after the first verse, I was out of breath. 5 days a week, for 6 months, I learned to sing, not for myself, but to walk in Jackson’s shoes.”.
Intensive training that allowed him to co-write some of the songs for A Star is Born with other artists including Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson (who also wrote for Barbie) and Lucas Nelson, son of legendary country singer Willie Nelson.
A piece that paid off as the entire soundtrack was also recognized by BAFTA. As for the title song Shallow, which the two actors sing together, it won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It has since surpassed 2 billion plays on Spotify.
Without Lady Gaga?
A Star is Born could have been a completely different film and not have had the success it has today. Because the studios didn’t want singer Lady Gaga – real name Stefani Germanotta – to play Ali. Then the names of Selena Gomez, Kesha and Shakira are mentioned.
But convinced that Lady Gaga is the right choice, the director and actress insists to the studios. The first alchemy tests in front of the producers were decisive enough to give him the role. The rest of the story, you know!
A Star Is Born will leave the Netflix catalog on January 31st.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
