Bradley Cooper on Being Honored by Brad Pitt: ‘He Owed Me!’ (Exclusive)

“Maestro’s” Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan sat down with “Extra” at the 2024 Oscar Nominees Luncheon.

Bradley was happy to be there, saying, “The coolest thing is seeing all of the people that we got to work with up there… It was very emotional for me to watch Steven [Spielberg] walk up there and that he believed in us it was pretty awesome.”

Talking about working with Spielberg, he said, “It's interesting. You know, he sort of wrapped himself in love and he exuded Lenny in so many ways, and it felt like that that was our banner for the whole film, just joy, joy. Every day was joyous. I've never had such a joyous experience on a movie ever.”

Carey added, “From start to finish, the whole thing, and it's been a span of, like almost six years, you know, and to have had that much pleasure from one job for so long is really amazing.”

Bradley said, “The truth is, though, that the experience I'll walk away from is the living of the movie, and then the benefit is that — and the reason why one does it — is that hopefully it connects with people, so when we have people come up to us and talk about that they've seen it and they felt something or connect to it.”

Bradley and Carey connected on the movie, and she was there as Cooper was honored at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where Brad Pitt presented to him and made some jokes.

Cooper joked, “He owed me! What's that when you pull that chip?"

Carey shared she had never met Pitt before. “I walked into the green room and he was in there and I didn't know how to talk to him, so I didn't… and then we were in our seats and he was sat in the seat behind me but I didn't know… Then I felt this tap on my shoulder and I turned around. It was him and he went, ‘Hey, Carey,’ and I went, ‘Oh, God, Brad Pitt!’”

Cooper said, “He's amazing. It meant a lot to me that Carey and Brad both came.”

“Maestro,” which Cooper also directed and co-wrote, has landed seven Oscar nominations, including three for Bradley. What would it mean to him to walk away with trophies for this one?

“Honestly, being here is what matters, and the fact that we're even able to be in this photograph today, it's everything,” he said.

As for their Oscar dates, Bradley said he is bringing his mother Gloria Campano and Carey will be bringing her husband Marcus Mumford.