Actor Bradley Cooper discussed how his father’s death impacted his outlook on life and his parenting perspective.
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor made the comments during an upcoming episode of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge,” per People.
“Yeah, I wish my dad was around to enjoy more of it, but we all recognize how lucky we’ve been,” Cooper said.
“Yeah, that’s a hard thing, isn’t it?” Bear Grylls replied.
“It was a blessing though,” Cooper said. “He gave me a huge gift; he died in my arms. To see that kind of factual example of mortality.” The actor had previously discussed his father’s death from lung cancer in 2011.
“Did that change how you look at things?” Grylls asked.
“Oh yeah. Some ways for the worst,” the 48-year-old father of one said. “I definitely had a nihilistic attitude after, for a little bit. Just like, wow I’m gonna die. It was not great for a little bit until I realized I had to just embrace who I actually am and try to find peace with that. And then it sorta evened out.”
Cooper shares a 6-year-old daughter, Lea, with his ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk.
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Next, Grylls asked how the actor approaches fatherhood now. “You’ve had that whole journey with your dad and now you’re a dad,” the host said.
“I mean you learn from your predecessor’s mistakes and I’ll make tons that hopefully Lea will learn from and then being rigorous with myself to grow,” Cooper replied. “To help unburden her with any of my bulls***.”
“I guess having a child, and having a family of my own — which is a miracle and something I’ve always dreamt of — has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present,” he continued.
The “Hangover” actor also said in 2021 that he rejected the term “co-parenting” to describe how he and his ex raise their daughter. “I never understood the term co-parenting. […] Co-parenting is parenting.”