Bradley Cooper and Spike Lee were among the participants at a Saturday panel in Los Angeles for the Directors Guild of America, and Cooper dropped a revelation that utterly surprised Lee.
As Variety reports, Cooper revealed that about 10 years earlier he once auditioned for Lee, seeking a role in a TV pilot he was directing.
“You get a chance to read for Spike Lee, you’re never going to forget that,” Cooper told the audience at the Directors Guild Theater. The “BlacKkKlansmen” director had no recollection of Cooper auditioning for him (the role, Cooper said, was for “Pilot #3”), and was utterly shocked by the anecdote.
“You said ‘Hello, how are you,’ you asked me about Philly, you did the thing and you got me out quick,” recalled Cooper. “You were going hard. You’re a very present human being.”
Upon hearing Cooper’s anecdote, Lee expressed his admiration for actors to withstand constant rejection, and asked the “Star Is Born” star/director how many times he auditioned before landing his first acting gig.
“Thousands,” said Cooper.
