Long before they were household names, Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett first crossed paths on the streets of New York as two young actors hustling to land the next audition.
Over two decades later, in a full-circle moment, Cooper is directing Arnett (and himself) in a new movie rooted in the place where it all began.
“We have to pinch ourselves every step of the way,” Arnett told Variety on Friday night at the closing night premiere of the 63rd New York Film Festival. “It’s just such a joy for us to be able to do this together. We appreciate how rare it is.”
“Is This Thing On?” marks Cooper’s third directorial effort after 2018’s “A Star is Born” and 2023’s “Maestro.” The film follows a man (Arnett) who steps “into the existential spotlight of stand-up,” as Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes, while navigating his impending divorce.
This time around, Cooper steps back into a supporting role, rounding out a stacked ensemble that includes Laura Dern, Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds.
A longtime stand-up comedy fan, Cooper (who calls Richard Pryor his “idol”) worked closely with Liz Furiati, general manager of the Comedy Cellar and the adjacent Olive Tree Café. He ended up casting Furiati to play herself in the movie.
“She really was the authenticator of the whole thing,” Cooper told Variety. “I just kept throwing everything at her. ‘How would this be?’ ‘Is this right?’ She was the nuclear power.”
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Beneath the film’s comedic surface run threads of reinvention and vulnerability, themes that echo Cooper’s own early years as an actor just finding his footing in New York. On an episode of Arnett’s “SmartLess” podcast in 2022, Cooper credited his longtime friend with delivering the wake-up call that helped him overcome his battle with substance abuse.
“Will took that risk of having that hard conversation with me in, like, July of 2000, and that put me on a path of deciding to change my life,” Cooper said. “It truly was Will Arnett — he is the reason.”
Asked about Cooper’s comments, Arnett recalled, “I was just a friend. Like a lot of people, I’ve been the beneficiary of a lot of great people and friends in my life, too… He was able to right his own ship and get himself going where he needed to go. Just to be able to be around and be helpful in any way I could was great for me.”
As for what’s next on Cooper’s schedule, Variety reported earlier this week that Cooper is in talks to star alongside Margot Robbie in an “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel. Cooper teased that the project might be backed by Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment.
“Her work ethic is incredible, besides her immense talent,” Cooper said. “Her and her husband, Tom [Ackerley], they’ve created a company that does really incredible things. That would be amazing to work with the both of them.”
As for the “Superman” sequel speeding toward a summer 2027 release, Cooper stayed mum on whether he’d reprise his role as the Man of Steel’s Kryptonian father. But he did reveal what’s first on his watchlist once he’s back home: the ending of James Gunn’s “Peacemaker” season two.
“All I know is I haven’t watched the finale yet,” Cooper said. “I can’t wait. I love that show.”
From Variety US