Bradley Cooper was named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2011. It’s not just fans who find the actor undeniably handsome, though. Famous Hollywood ladies drool over him too.
Ellen DeGeneres has spotted several Brad-thirsty celebs on her show, with former Bachelorette star Hannah B admitting that she loved Cooper’s ‘sweaty’ look in A Star Is Born. According to multiple reports, there is a whole line of celebrities who would apparently want to be Cooper's next girlfriend.
For instance, singer Taylor Swift is alleged to have asked Jennifer Lawrence - a friend and frequent co-star of Cooper’s - if she could introduce her to the star. Avatar star Zoe Saldana is perhaps ahead of the curve on that front, having already briefly dated Cooper in 2011.
The timing of their relationship coincides with the filming period of their 2012 romantic drama film, The Words. It is no surprise, then, to hear that things got pretty steamy between them during the production process of the Brian Klugman movie.
Zoe Saldana Fell In Love With ‘The Words’ Because Of The Script
According to Rotten Tomatoes, The Words follows the story of ‘shallow, wannabe-writer Rory, [who] finds an old manuscript tucked away in a bag, [and] decides to pass the work off as his own. The book, called The Window Tears, brings Rory great acclaim, until the real author shows up and threatens to destroy Rory's reputation.’
Ironically, The Words - a tale of plagiarism - itself became embroiled in a controversy about a potential plagiarized plot-line. Klugman and fellow writer Lee Sternthal were, however, able to prove the originality of their work in the end.
Cooper played the role of the hapless writer Rory, while Saldana depicted a character called Dora, his girlfriend. The actress fell in love with the script for The Words as soon as she lay her eyes on it. “When I read the script, I was very taken by it,” she said. “All the characters were so complex and very textured and they were very human.”
“I was really excited, and every day I was coming on set with ideas, and as an actor, you feel very present and very relevant when your ideas are taken into high consideration–especially as a woman.”
Saldana Described Cooper As ‘Dedicated And Professional’
On top of having her voice heard, Saldana had a really good time creating The Words because of the seamless chemistry she enjoyed with Cooper. While most love stories in movies fall short because of a lack of a connection between the actors, Saldana felt that it was a completely different scenario with her and her co-star in the film.
“Bradley is a very dedicated and open professional,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2012 interview. “It’s really good when you can balance that with an actor as opposed to an actor that just comes prepared and just goes, ‘don’t f**k up my light’ and ‘this line is my close-up.’”
Playing lovers in the movie meant they had to share a number of intimate scenes, something which the Jersey-born star said they actually enjoyed. “We didn’t care where the camera was,” Saldana continued. “It was just like we were both part of this extensive conversation.”
At the end of the day, the actress was happy with the piece of art they made, something which she said doesn’t always happen with her. “Usually I’m not this way,” she explained. “I’m not completely happy all the time, [but] I’m very proud of [The Words].”
Zoe Saldana And Bradley Cooper Dated For A Year
Despite being professional actors, most Hollywood stars still find it very awkward to execute kissing scenes. Cooper had another electric on-screen spark in a film that also came out in 2012: alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook.
While Saldana admits to having a seamless experience being up close and personal to Cooper, it was a very different experience for Lawrence. After the second take of a kissing scene, she had to come out and tell him, ‘You’re a wet kisser.’
Saldana and Cooper would reunite two years later, when she played Gamora and he was cast as Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy. They also reprised their respective roles in the 2017 sequel, and will also be a part of the third movie in the series, due for release in 2023.
Their enduring friendship has made it easy for them to work together for all these years. It says a lot about their maturity, given that they actually dated for about one year after their time shooting The Words in 2011.
Cooper is currently single, while Saldana has been married to Italian artist Marco Perego since June 2013.