Bradley Cooper Heats Up Food Network For Burnt
Bradley Cooper has come a long way from the days of a struggling actor working as a doorman at Morgans Hotel to sort of make ends meet. He has been nominated for an Academy Award four times in the last three years: two for Best Actor (American Sniper, Silver Linings Playbook), one for Best Supporting Actor (American Hustle), and one for Best Picture as a producer (American Hustle). He has also taken the Great White Way by storm, too, receiving a Best Actor in a Play Tony nomination for his role in Elephant Man.
To promote his newest film, Burnt, which hits theaters Friday, October 23, Cooper will appear in the new Food Network special, Burnt: In The Kitchen with Bradley Cooper, where he takes us behind-the-scenes of his new film.
Before Cooper was dating models, starring in network specials, and being named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine, Bradley Cooper worked odd jobs, like most struggling actors do, and one of those odd jobs has come full circle as preparation for his newest role in the film Burnt.
This also isn’t the first time he’s played a chef. Back in 2005, Cooper was the star of the very, very short-lived (we’re talking 3 months) sitcom adaptation of the then-hot Anthony Bourdain tell-all Kitchen Confidential, where the premise was strikingly similar to his new film: He played Jack Bourdain, who found success in the kitchen at an early age, which led him to a life of womanizing, drugs and alcohol.
(Thank you, internet!)
In Burnt, Cooper plays Adam Jones, a once-promising chef who has spiraled out of control and is dealing with substance abuse. This premise is not that far off from Cooper’s real life.
Before hitting it big, Cooper was a prep chef in the restaurant business. He has also credited his mother’s Italian background for his skills in the kitchen. While Cooper was on the TV show Alias, he was struggling with addiction and career doubts, which lead him to suicidal thoughts. Much like Cooper, – who has abstained from alcohol since he was 29 – his character, Adam, is questioning his talents and ability while fighting his addictions. The films centers around Adam making a come back in a big way and earning the extremely rare third Michelin star. To put the Michelin ratings in perspective, only 6 restaurants in all of New York City received this honor for 2015.
Catch Burnt: In The Kitchen with Bradley Cooper at 11:30pm ET Tuesday, October 20 on Food Network