Additional funding provided by and by bloomberg, a provider of multimedia news and Information Services worldwide. Captioning sponsored by Rose Communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. Rose bradley cooper, the factor actor, has had an extraordinary word. He starred in and produced the new Clint Eastwood directed film, american sniper. Vanity fair calls his film as Navy Seal Chris kyle a story for the ages. Here is the trailer for the film. I got a military aged male on my cell phone watching the convoy, over. If you think hes recording troop movement, your call. Maybe hes just calling his old lady. He stepped off. Hold on. I got a woman and a kid 200 yards out, moving towards the convoy. Her arms arent swinging. Shes carrying something. Shes got a grenade. Shes got an rkg russian grenade, handing to the kid. You say a woman and a kid. You got eyes on this, you can confirm . Negative. Your call. They fry you if you ares wrong. Bradley cooper is also starring as joseph meric in the new broadway production of the elephant man which opened this year. It was the role that first inspired him to become an acker. I spoke with him recently at the booth theatre where the play will run until february 15th. Heres that conversation. Whats it like . When you think about the fact that this role has meant so much to you for so long, to sit on this stage, to come to this stage, every night. First of all, being with you here on this stage, that is the thing. That is thank you for that, by the way. Oh, charlie, its a good year, to be here in the booth theatre where it originated, where david bowie did it here in 1980 and its the movie that made me want to be an actor. I think the first time i ever sat at your table we talked about the elephant man and to be here in 2014. And the response that we get from the audience every single night where it feels like it actually his story is being told. And it was the character that motivated you to want to be an acker. It was the movie, david lynchs film, i saw it when i was about 12 years old am my father showed it to me. And there was something about the movie, the way john hurt played him, the way it was filmed in black and white and anthony hopkins, it stuck with me, the movie, everything. Adaggio in strings. And it basically was that moment. I loved film, i saw raging bull, apocalypse now, deer hunter, but it was that movie where it crystallized for me, i remember saying to my father, i said i want to be an actor and got laughed at until i was about 25 years old. Until finally he said yeah, maybe you should do that. Rose your father was a real influence on you. Huge. He was a guy who grew up loving movies. And we lived across the street from a movie theatre. I remember when hbo and prism came to our town, comcast continuation was a huge thing that raging bull could be on at 8 00 and 10 30. And so he would just show me all these movies growing up. Rose have you thought about if things had been a bit different, you might have become an actor an loved the life of an acker. Its funny you say that. I remember there was an office party they had. He was a stockbroker. And i remember they went to it and he had written all these skits paging fun of all his coworkers and his boss. I remember them coming home. And he was flying high. He was so excited. My mom talking about how he sort of she had never seen that side of him. We had always joked around it was very sort of brois truss, laughfilled, arguingfilled family. But you know, i think so, charlie. I do. I actually think we have loved it. And actually before he passed, i did a movie called the a team and joe put him in the movie. So he is on the Admiral Court when were getting courtmartialed. So he had a day of being able to work on the film. Rose how much did he live to see . He died there january 15th, 2011. So. Rose he saw the emergence of his son who lived his dream for his son. Yes, that is right. He had a good feeling. I remember he had a good feeling. Limitless hadnt come out the question which was sort of the first movie that i had been in the center of and had actually paved the road for being able to do other films. But the hangover 1 had come out. So he saw hangover 1. Rose this is a transform difficult moment. Yeah. Rose in a sense, american sniper elephant mans, other films to come out. Directors want to work with you. You can to you make films yourself. Like american sniper. Yeah. Rose a transform difficult moment. Yeah, yeah. To play joseph meric and Christopher Scott kyle in the same calendar year is a dream fulfilled. Rose and to have sometng, some power. I mean you insisted on the booth theatre. Yeah. Rose you knew who you wanted to direct. Thats right, american sniper. Rose . And those were, certainly elephant man was a long shot and it took a lot of convincing. You know, oh, yeah, that say marketable entity with no problem. Me definitely having to convince and share my passion with people. Rose from the moment you came out of georgetown to the moment are you now, was there ever a time in which you said im not sure im going to be able to do what i want to do. Oh, all the yeah, for years. Rose years. Yeah, well, because i came out georgetown. I went to grad school, living in new york city, living in a bubble, basically, when are you in grad school. And then i was also, then i was sort of thrown into los angeles shooting a tv series, which was incredible. And i got to see the way shows are edited and all that kind of jazz. But i was not fulfilled because i wasnt a part of the every day telling of the story. So there was a time when i realized, in order to be fulfilled in this is about, i got to be in the trenches with the director. I love the story telling aspect. I wont be fulfilled if im just sort of coming in and out. So i knew very early on that unfortunately for me, there was either there was one small window that i would be able to go through to be fulfilled. And that was to be sort of in the place im at now. And if that wasnt going to happen, that i would really have to take a serious look at what im doing with my life. Rose and what makes you push past that so that people who maybe looking at that now will understand that everybody has felt that. Right. You know, luck, opportunity, you know, watershed moment for me, charlie, was three days of rain, a play i did here on broadway about seven or eight years ago. I was at a point where i had done a tv show that got canceled. And i thought, you know what, if this doesnt succeed f i dont suggest sood at this, i may have to hang it up and try Something Else with my life. I was 31 at the time. And you know, i felt very comfortable on stage. And it was a very fulfilling moment. You know, you have these little moments or somebody like Robert De Niro looking at your audition tape for a movie that youre not going to get and calling you in and saying hey, i wanted to let you know that youre not going to get the role but keep doing what you do. That is when you realize the influence you can have on somebody. Rose for him to give the encouragement. Exactly. Rose i know how tough this is. I dont have a role for you but stay on it. Yes. Rose im telling you you have talent. Yeah. Rose even Clint Eastwood said he sees himself in you, in directing you in american sniper. Theres something about you that he sees in himself. Wow, thats nice. I mean, we it was easy, you know to work with each other. I got to say. I mean he i love him to death. And it definitely he is a jazz musician and the set was like jazz. And maybe me coming off two David O Russell movies, although he is much more verbose, it has that flowing energy to it and i sort of seamlessly just went right into clints wave. And. Rose there was a moment they thought that steven might direct this opinions yes. Rose and then something, after the death of countries kyle. Yeah, basically the reason why the movie started getting the third year with Steven Spielberg, chris was murdered and a couple of weeks later a got a call, i was on the set of American Hustle. And steven said i will make this my next movie. Dow want to do it. After chris was murdered. Yes, chris was killed on february 2013. And i think steven called me, i think maybe in nafern, i believe. And the minute Steven Spielberg is interested in doing a movie. Rose it gets made. Everything changes, yeah. So you know, script, budget, i mean everything. You know, everybody just sarts starts getting into gear. So that was the real reason which lead us to Clint Eastwood. Rose and so what, steven decided no to the do it. He decided not do it and he was a total gentleman. He called me. He said i want to help anyway i can. He already had worked out. We had already worked on the script quite a bit and the story. And he and clint had worked together. He produced flags of our fathers and letters from iwo jima. He had met for. Rose clint was a hero. Oh, massive hero. There were two guys, three guys, i wanted to be on the charlie rose show, im not even kidding. I wanted to work with Clint Eastwood and i wanted to work with Robert De Niro. Thats the truth. So so yeah, and hi put myself on tape for flags of our fathers, played the priest, the irish priest in grand turino, and the gay lover of jay edgar hoover. All movies i didnt get. I thought maybe it wasnt going to happen. All of a sudden steven dropped out. Peg said what about clint. Chris kyle said that the one he wanted to direct the moviest was Clint Eastwood. But he was doing jersey boy. He had read the book, so i talked to him on a friday and he said yeah, let me call me on monday. And then so i called him on monday. And he went, yeah, lets make this and that was it. And next thing you know, were in rabat two months later. Rose but you went to see his parents. Yeah, smart thing. He said lets go to lets just go to midlothian, lets meet his children, lets see if wayne and debis parents will drive out, and jeff and amy and his brother, his brothers wife. We spent two and a half days there. Great story about that. So i dont know clint that well. I dont know if it will be a huge entourage. We arrived there. It was just him, just me and him. And taya pyxis up, we go to the house. We are staying at a days inn, i keep waiting for the person to come to help, and it was just me and him. I will remember, it was about 11 30 of night, we get out of her minivan, walk fooing into the days inn, me and Clint Eastwood checking into the days inn. Rose she just have went crazy. He was like mr. Jones and i was mr. Meric. Rose from here. Yeah. Always my aliases. And then he i remember getting the phone call from like 8 00 in the morning from the hotel. Hes like yeah, you up. Yeah, all right, lets get some breakfast. And just like,. Rose but you met the father. Yeah. Rose chriss father. And i just spoke with him this morning, actually. Rose he had saw the film. Yesterday. Rose but he had some concerns when you first said we want to page a movie about your son. Understandably so i mean think about it. Your boys killed and a year later these two men from hollywood are sitting in the very seat that chris had dinner in every night telling you that theyre going to make a movie about your child. I mean, that was not lost on me how surreal there was. Rose there was a special connection between chris and his father, you see it from early on. Yeah, very close family, and jeff. Rose didnt he Say Something like i done know if you pretty boys can do it. He said something about hooking me up to the back of his truck and dragging me to take the pretty out of me. And i actually thanked him. I hadnt been called pretty since i was about eight years old. Oh, thank you. Ill take. Rose and now hes seen it. He has seen it. Rose what de say . Well, i want him to speak for himself. But i will say this. It was it meant everything to me the call we had this morning. Kuz i looked him in the eyes he and debi and said look, i will take care of your boy. I know im 185 pounds and i dont sound like im from texas but im telling you, i am going to do everything i can to do right by him. And it was a wonderful call we had today. And i any, and the great thing is he sees that this movie can continue chriss work of healing vets. And so i think were going to talk about doing as much as we can together. Rose like tragedy he was killed wile helping vets. Yeah. Rose tell me about him. How you saw him. You know, the whole thing, the whole investigation has been so interesting. And thats how i almost look at it like an experiment. Charlie, i looked at all the footage. De tons of interviews because he was promoting his book, american sniper. So there is all this footage out there taya took all this video because every tour he went on, you never knew if he was going to come back. Do you want to die . Is that what it is . No. Just tell me. Tell me why you do it. I want to understand. Babe, at this do it for you, you know that i do it to protect you. No, you dont. Yes, i do. Im here. Your family is here. Your children have no father. I have to serve my country. You dont know when to quit. You did your part. You sacrificed enough. You let somebody else go. Let somebody else go . Yeah. You find a way. You have to. Okay, i need you to be human again. I need you here. I need you here. She wanted to make sure she documented their lives. I so i have a plethora of material i could swim in for months. So i got to know the way he breathes, the way he moves his hands, everything. You know, and i just fell in love with the guy. I got to to say. And i just had mad, mad respect for him. Humble, utterly humble and just a great sense of humor. And for being such a huge presence, and you could just tell the way he changed the energy in a room. He has the ability that Clint Eastwood has, quite frankly, which is to make everybody feel at ease. Even though you feel like youre in the presence of, you know, the legend. Rose how did you get prepared for this, beyond being able to study him, the physical things you had to do. Yeah. It was brutal. Rose to add 30, 40, 50 to pounds. I think at the end of the day it was 30 trz it is muscle. It is to the body building, it was weight training. There is one scene that he learned he had three weeks before he had to go homement and they basically deemed him impotent because theyre not letting him fight any more. There is that tracking shot. And hes dead squatting, you know. And i just love that. Because its so, i mean that was real weight, that was 400 pounds. And i said to clint, you know, lets not do him bench pressing. Lets see him doing his thing. We realized just how strong the guy was. And that was real, that was me doing it. And that was just by the nature of all the work we did. You know, i grade people, charlie. This guy jason walsh, this trainer and this other dialect coach. Rose but you had an incredible schedule. You would get up, do a couple hours. About 5 a. M. Rose and then come back and dot physical stuff again in order to be physically ready. Thats right. Rose and it helps you inhabit the character. Everything. First of all. Rose to feel his physicality. It was invaluable. Better than if i had done an acting workshop for a monthment i worked out to his play list. So it was all his muskic all the time. And i had blown up these photographs of chris and one was giving the came rat finger. So he was always sort of smirking at me as i was trying to become him. Rose when you did you feel that you had made the movie that you meant to make at the end of shooting . Yes. Very proud of it. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And i got to tell you something, man. I was worried that i wasnt i wasnt going to be able to do it i was really terrified that i wasnt going to be able to believe i was chris. And that was the thing. But once i believed i was chris, charlie, i got to say, i know it sounds crazy, but when we were shooting the povie t wasnt very long shoot because Clint Eastwood does it fast. I felt chriss presence. I really felt that he was taking care of me. And a lot of people would come on set who knew chris and just, you know, initially thinking like the balls of this guy to think hes going to play this i goo. But i could feel the minute they came up to me, they actually started to believe it too. I mean those two guys at the end of the povie, one of them was a marine corps sniper knew chris. And coy just feel that he he felt like chris was there. Rose the interesting thing too about him is, i ask you about him as a shot. It was much more than just simply being a great shooter. Thats right. It was about. Rose what was it . A couple of things. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time, number one am but the other thing is he was very savvy in terms of where to set up his gun. And he always sort of had a knack for that and he also had a knack for fleshing out what was a possible target where somebody else their eyes would have passed right through it. Rose and could see the target better than most . That, i dont knowment but he sort of sensed the target better than most. Wince tell you something these marines rushing in like theyre doing, theyre going to have their asses shot off. Theyre marines, half these guys were civilians six months ago. Lets coach them up. We cant do that we need you on overwatch. If im on the street, mark. The is deadliest job here. You have a saviour complex. I just want the bad guys but if i cant see them, i cant shoot them. All these guys know your name and feel invisible with you up there. They are not. They are if they think they are. Just keep banging on the long gun and let the dogs sniff out the collars. Rose and the idea of a competitor on the other side. Yeah. Rose is that part of his life or something that was a great dramatic device in. There was that guy that he hunted. But that to me what i loved about the movie, about the framing of the film was it was set up like a western. The fact you have this moustafa character and did the fourth tour sot inform a sand storm like the end of a western. I loved that, almost unforgiven like structure. Rose when clint made unforgiven you had the same sense and we talked about it a the lo. There is that scene where he is taking his boy hunting and he says it is a hell of a thing to stop a beating heart. And it is the same thing when william money takes that swig when he learns that Morgan Freeman has been killed. And he says the hell of a thing killing a man am take away everything he has and everything he is going to half. Rose when you work with eastwood and you wanting to be a director at some time, are you watching and observing a guy who has b