'So Desperate': Bradley Cooper Accused of Faking Tearful Interview About Leonard Bernstein to Help Him Win an Oscar for 'Maestro'

Is Bradley Cooper shedding crocodile tears?

In a December 2023 interview that's resurfaced on TikTok, the actor gushed over his admiration for Leonard Bernstein, the composer he portrays in Maestro. However, social media users thought he was being a bit too dramatic, especially since he never met Bernstein, who passed in 1990.

When the dad-of-one, 49, was asked if he misses Bernstein, he replied, "Oh, yeah. It’s hard to talk about."

"I don’t know. We shared something very special," he continued on CBS Sunday Morning while tearing up. "It’s hard to even articulate, but he was with me, certainly, throughout the entire time [filming]. I really do feel like I know him."

Adding to the awkwardness of the situation was the fact that The Hangover star was sitting next to Bernstein's grown children.

People on TikTok couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, accusing Cooper of acting dramatic in hopes of increasing his chances of winning Best Actor for the flick at the 2024 Academy Awards.

"Bro is so desperate for that Oscar," one person commented on the video, while another wrote, "He wants the Oscar so bad."

"The Oscar bait is insane," agreed a third individual, while a fourth said, "I'm sorry but he's doing too much."

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Others thought it was "insane" for Cooper to be crying over a man he never interacted with.

Cooper has come under fire in regards to the Netflix film for a few reasons, including the rules he made while directing it.

"When we shoot the movie, no one’s allowed on set," he told Variety. "[Producer] Steven Spielberg came three times, but other than him, there’s nobody. It has to be a sanctuary."

"There’s no chairs. I’ve always hated chairs on sets; your energy dips the minute you sit down in a chair," the Pennsylvania native noted. "There’s no video village."

People shamed the star on social media for his actions, with one person explaining, "I understand the artistic reasons not to have a video village and fully support that. But let the people sit, man. They work hard for you. They stand most the time. We all know there is downtime on film sets no matter how efficiently you shoot."

The Alias alum also caught heat for using a prosthetic nose for the role, as some saw it as offensive to the Jewish community — however, Bernstein's daughter Jamie defended Cooper.

"I just want to point out that Bradley has a very substantial nose. I don’t think anyone noticed that before the fracas happened," she quipped. "It’s the absolute non-issue of all time."