Ben Affleck, you are no longer alone. Because, Bradley Cooper, director-star-producer of A Star Is Born, is just as tired of talking about his latest blockbuster as you were amidst the personal hell that was the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice press tour. That much became clear after Cooper stopped to chat with Giuliana Rancic during the annual E! red carpet Oscars special.
Rancic took time out of her interview with the Academy Award nominee to share an unexpected heartfelt story about her own relationship, revealing ASIB “made her fall in love” with husband Bill Rancic “even more.” Rancic likely hoped that news would brighten Cooper’s day. Instead, his face only darkened, he attempted to look anywhere but the E! host’s face, stuck his tongue out uncomfortably, and eventually just looked down. All Cooper could eventually say was, “Thank you. We all worked so hard. That’s all I can do.”
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Viewers on Twitter soon noticed the relentlessly uncomfortable moment.
Please look at Bradley Cooper’s face during his interview. Oh man. Deep contemplation. #OscarRedCarpet pic.twitter.com/S6DXxDALFl
— Makho Ndlovu (@makhondlovu) February 25, 2019
Giuliana Rancic just told Bradley Cooper that ‘A Star is Born’ made her fall even more in love with her husband and asked him how that made him feel.
— Rachel Rose Gold (@RachelRoseGold_) February 25, 2019
He responded that “we all just try to work so hard and never give up but other than that I don’t know.” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/cUIU8m38I6
It’s impossible not to see the similarities between Cooper’s attempt to melt into the Oscars red carpet and that one time Ben Affleck could no longer weather the storm of Batman’s “mixed reviews,” as an interviewer reminded him of back in 2016. These are two men who put everything into a project and were then rejected for it. In the last few weeks, Cooper has been intensely honest about how difficult this awards season has been for him. Earlier this month, the Best Actor nominee admitted he was “embarrassed” for his Best Director snub.
“The first thing I felt was embarrassment actually. Well, think about it. I felt embarrassed that I didn't do my part. I'll work on that,” Cooper admitted during an episode of Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations. “I went, 'Oh, gosh. I didn't do my job.'”
After a difficult post-A Star Is Born period like this, it’s no surprise Bradley Cooper wasn’t excited to hear about how his movie improved someone else’s life. But, at least his muse Lady Gaga soldiered through listening to Giuliana Rancic’s story, which she quickly repeated the moment the “Shallow” singer showed up to her spot on the red carpet, without creating a memeable moment.
Ally Maine would be proud.