Summary

• Bradley Cooper's career has been defined by versatility, as he has played both charming leading men and unlikable villains.
• Cooper has successfully transitioned from acting to directing, earning Oscar nominations for his work behind the camera.
• Cooper has been involved in some of the most iconic and successful movies of the 21st century, showcasing his talent as both an actor and a filmmaker.

For over two decades, guest star in Sex and the City, but he quickly moved on to film. After several ing roles in studio comedies, Cooper blew up after the success of The Hangover. He has since used his stardom to be in some of the most interesting projects of the 21st century.

Even after his big break, Cooper has never been held down by just one type of role. He has played the charming leading man, as well as the unlikable villain — and even voiced a hyper-intelligent Raccoon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Recently, Cooper has successfully made the transition to becoming a filmmaker in his own respect, getting Oscar nominations for producing, acting, and writing. He could potentially receive a nomination Maestro as well. Cooper has been in some of the best movies in recent memory, as well as some underappreciated gems.

10 Wedding Crashers (2005)

Bradley Cooper Plays Sack Lodge

One of Cooper's breakout roles was in the Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn comedy Wedding Crashers, where he plays the overprotective and hyper-masculine Sack Lodge. While he's not a major part of the movie, Cooper serves as the film's main antagonist and delivers some of its biggest laughs. The comedic tone allows Cooper to go big and be a bad guy the audience loves to hate. Some of the movie's humor hasn't aged as well as one would like, but thanks to Wedding Crashers' likable cast, it's still a very watchable studio comedy. Unfortunately, his reduced role and the outdated jokes place Wedding Crashers lower on the list of Cooper's best hits.

9 The Mule (2018)

Bradley Cooper Plays Agent Colin Bates

While Cooper may have received an Oscar nomination for American Sniper, his other collaboration with director Clint Eastwood, The Mule, is a more tender and watchable film. The Mule is a self-reflexive commentary about Eastwood's career and life, as Eastwood plays an 80-year-old man who begins to traffic drugs for the cartel. Cooper is the DEA agent trying to hunt him down. There is an especially great scene between Cooper and Eastwood in a diner that feels like one actor/director advising another. It's not a masterpiece or Cooper’s best performance, but The Mule is a reliable and effective drama.

8 A Star Is Born (2018)

Bradley Cooper Wrote, Directed, And Starred As Jack Maine

After a decade of being one of the biggest leading men in Hollywood, Cooper surprised everyone by writing, directing, and starring in a remake of A Star Is Born. In what could have easily felt like a vanity project, Cooper made one of the most iconic and successful romance movies of the 21st century. Plotwise, the film is similar to the other versions, but his talents as a filmmaker make the film stand out. With the incredible cinematography of Matthew Libatique, A Star Is Born is a modern classic. Cooper has done better as an actor and a filmmaker, but it is still a beautiful directorial debut feature.

7 The Hangover (2009)

Bradley Cooper Plays Phil Wenneck

Todd Phillips' The Hangover launched Cooper into superstardom and for good reason. Cooper is effortlessly charming as the ever-cool Phil. Cooper is also allowed to show his range in the film. Even though Phil is the least strange member of the Wolfpack, he still gets several big laughs throughout the movie and gets to showcase some physical comedy. The Hangover is endlessly quotable, and while some of the comedy is dated, more jokes land than miss. Plus, Cooper is still insanely watchable. While the sequels may have been mostly rejected by critics and audiences, the first film is still a comedy classic.

6 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Bradley Cooper Plays Pat Solitano

In 2012, Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence flipped the rom-com genre on its head with Silver Linings Playbook. The film explored mental health, family, complex relationships, and two of the most unique characters of the 2010s through the structure of a typical rom-com. While Lawrence may steal the show as Tiffany, rightfully winning her first Oscar for the role, Silver Linings Playbook also includes one of Cooper's best performances as a man living with bipolar disorder who has to let go of the past and embrace what he has. While not every aspect of the film holds up, there is so much about Silver Linings Playbook that just works.

5 Nightmare Alley (2021)

Bradley Cooper Plays Stanton Carlisle

The follow-up to his best picture-winning film The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro's remake of Nightmare Alley didn't receive the love it deserved at the time. Instead of exploring monsters in the traditional sense, del Toro uses the dark world of noir to find the monster hidden inside the everyman, and Cooper shines as a tragic anti-hero. The film is dour and borderline hopeless, which didn't help with its mass appeal to the general audience. However, it is a rewarding film, and the final moments contain some of the best acting in Cooper's entire filmography.

There are two cuts of Nightmare Alley, one in color and one in black and white.

4 Maestro (2023)

Writing, Directing, And Staring As Leonard Bernstein

Improving on almost every element of A Star Is Born, Maestro is a stunning achievement when it comes to directing and performances. Cooper outdoes himself as a filmmaker, crafting striking images that tell complex stories with just a single frame. His performance as Leonard Bernstein is also a marvel, as he seamlessly ages with the composer, creating a character that doesn't feel like an impression but a fully living person that we only see glimpses of. Maestro may be off-putting to those searching for a traditional biopic, but for those looking for a complex portrait of love and art, it is one of the best movies of 2023.

3 Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Bradley Cooper Plays Ben

A camp classic in every sense of the term, Wet Hot American Summer is Cooper's first film credit, and one of the best satires of all time. Cooper's performance as Ben is a shockingly nuanced and transgressive take on gay characters in teen movies — and one that is equal parts sweet and funny. Instead of being the butt of the joke, Ben is perhaps the most normal character in the entire film, and the joke becomes that the movie is never making a joke at his expense. Wet Hot American Summer is the rare comedy that gets funnier with time, and it's the best movie debut Cooper could wish for.

2 Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy (2014-2023)

Bradley Cooper Plays Rocket

Like most stars of the 2010s, Cooper found himself in the MCU, but instead of wearing superhero tights, he lent his voice to the most well-drawn and emotional hero in the entire universe: Rocket Raccoon. All three Guardians of the Galaxy movies are among the best in the MCU, as well as Cooper's filmography, but Vol. 3 gave Rocket the spotlight, exploring his origin and growth into a leader who can express love again. Because of his incredible voice work, it can be easy to forget that Cooper is the man behind Rocket. However, the character wouldn't be the same without him.

1 Licorice Pizza (2021)

Bradley Cooper Plays Jon Peters

While Cooper is a captivating lead, and a handsome man, some of his best performances come from his ing roles as crazed villains. Such is the case for Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza, where Cooper is in one sequence as real-life hairdresser/ notorious movie producer Jon Peters. Most of the film is a complex coming-of-age narrative about two people lost in their time and age, but when Cooper comes in as Peters, the film becomes a tense dark comedy. Cooper is hilarious, scary, and completely out of this world. It is one of the best sequences in one of the best movies of the past 10 years because of Cooper.