When Nightmare Alley hit theaters, fans were surprised by Bradley Cooper’s dark and intense performance as Stanton Carlisle, a carnival worker turned con man. But what many don’t know is that Cooper wasn’t the original choice for the lead role. That spot actually belonged to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Back in 2019, reports from Deadline revealed that DiCaprio had signed on to star in director Guillermo del Toro’s new psychological thriller. Coming off his Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water, del Toro was teaming up with DiCaprio for what was expected to be another powerful movie. Fans were excited. But soon after, DiCaprio quietly left the project for reasons that were never publicly explained.
That’s when Bradley Cooper stepped in.
Although it might seem like a big win to take over a role from a major star like DiCaprio, Cooper had mixed feelings. In an interview with Mahershala Ali for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Cooper opened up about the emotional struggle he went through after being offered the role.
“Nightmare Alley was an interesting example of how insecure I am,” Cooper said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I still am the guy that wants to be in the group.’” He explained that he had no plans to act in anything unless it was a project he had written himself. So when del Toro approached him after DiCaprio dropped out, Cooper was surprised and unsure.
“I still remember thinking, ‘Oh wow, the guys that don’t hire me, they want to hire me?’” he said. “And then it was like, ‘Of course, I have to do it just because I’ve never been allowed into that group.’ It was insecurity and ego.”
That’s a raw and honest take from someone who had already starred in huge movies like The Hangover, American Sniper, Guardians of the Galaxy, and A Star Is Born—the last of which he also directed and received multiple Oscar nominations for. But being second choice still made him feel unsure of himself.
However, that insecurity may have helped him dig deeper into the role. Cooper played Stanton Carlisle with eerie intensity, portraying a man who slowly descends into darkness. His performance was praised by critics, even though the movie didn’t do well at the box office. It only made about $15 million worldwide, but later found success on streaming platforms like HBO Max and Hulu in 2022.
In the end, Cooper called working with del Toro “incredible” and said he was thankful for the opportunity. Even though he didn’t originally want the role, he gave it everything he had—and it showed. At the same time, he was starting to shift his career in a new direction, working on Maestro, his passion project where he played the legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and directed again.
So while DiCaprio may have been the first choice, Cooper proved he was the right choice. His honesty, vulnerability, and raw emotion helped create one of his most powerful performances yet. Sometimes, being second can lead to something unforgettable.
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