That scene at the Grammys was only made possible by his staying in character the entire shoot.
To film that scene at the Grammys, Bradley Cooper convinced everyone that he really was drunk on the set of A Star is Born, and that helped make the whole thing feel and look that much more real.
Before the premiere of A Star is Born, everyone was talking about how Lady Gaga had achieved something incredible as Ally, an aspiring singer who rises to fame after an accidental meeting in a Drag Queens cabaret, but, even though she did not we can deny that she did a great job and that she definitely deserves a nomination for best song, she is not the best of the film, the best thing about this remake is actually its director/leader who dared to leave his comfort zone to explore their behind-the-scenes skills and tell a great story.
Cooper is raw, intense, vulnerable and so convincing, looking at him you really think you're looking at a booze and music-addicted cowboy who has spent half his life in the spotlight (trying to earn his brother's admiration). To achieve this, Cooper turned to his musician friends, especially Eddie Vedder, who tried to convince him to leave the project, learned to sing (a coach helped him reach a lower key), and paid attention to his movements on stage, and the result is impressive.
One of the most heartbreaking, and uncomfortable to watch, moments of the film is a scene in which a very drunk Jackson (Cooper's character) “steals” the moment from his wife. Jackson walks on stage at the Grammys, clearly intoxicated, tries to wrest the microphone from him, and ends up having an accident in front of all the cameras.
The scene is especially painful considering Jackson's history of addiction, it's when he realizes he's at rock bottom and needs to change if he doesn't want to lose it all, and it's one of Cooper's best moments in the movie.
Bradley Cooper obviously wasn't in the same condition as Jackson when he did the scene, but thanks to his enormous talent, he convinced everyone that he was drunk throughout the filming of A Star is Born.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Cooper revealed that he decided to stay in character throughout filming, especially in that scene at the Grammys that represented a momentous moment in his character's relationship with Ally, and was the triggering factor that led him to self-destruction.
Cooper commented that to make things right, he acted like he was drunk, even when the cameras weren't rolling. "Thank God, the actors were willing to let me direct them in that state because it was easier to stay in that space," he said. "It just took me a little longer to communicate what I wanted."
This means that Cooper is a better director than we thought, making someone else understand what you want, how you want them to move, act or react is quite difficult when sober. But with a few drinks (even imaginary ones) on top, it must be an almost impossible task. The actor-turned-director pulled it off without much trouble and watching the scene you can actually see the pain and shame on Ally's face, which was the whole point of putting her through something like that.
On set, emotions were running high, and without Cooper, and his commitment to the character, things would have been very different, although we don't know if that's good or bad.
The competition for best actor is very intense, Cooper is probably going to have to face off against Christian Bale and Willem Dafoe, and it is possible that he will not win the award, but, before our eyes, the nomination has already been won and the Academy would commit an injustice if I did not give it to him.
Star is Born wasn't loved by everyone, but there's no doubt it's a great movie and Bradley Cooper's performance is one of the best we've seen this year.
