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Bradley Cooper gushed about Vince Vaughn and was in awe of his memorable performance in a popular 2000s rom-com that "changed" him "forever."
Cooper, who was nominated for a Best Actor SAG Award and an Oscar for his performance in Maestro, co-starred with Vaughn in 2005's Wedding Crashers, and the experience was something that Cooper would never forget.
He recently participated in a discussion with fellow SAG Award nominees in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor and reflected on his career and work on Wedding Crashers.
After having extensively played the "nice guy" in shows like Alias, in which he played Will Tippin, Jennifer Garner's character Sydney Bristow's best friend and companion, Cooper said director David Dobkin gave him a "huge break" by casting him in Wedding Crashers as "bad guy" Sack Lodge.
“I think up to that point, I was always just trying to get it right. Be present and get it right,” said Cooper about being on set with the amazing cast that included Christopher Walken, Owen Wilson, and Rachel McAdams.
But it was Vaughn that got his attention the most.
"I'm watching this guy destroy a scene like just crush it, And then he wants another one," he said.
Bradley Cooper says Vince Vaughn on the "Wedding Crashers" set "changed me forever."\n\n"It was his willingness to fail...this man just failing and willing to try anything. At some point he was just scatting and doing this song. Clearly it wasn\u2019t working, but it didn\u2019t even matter.\u2026— (@)
Still inspired by him upon reflection on Vaughn's work ethic, Cooper recalled a particularly hilarious scene.
"I remember it was the scene where the grandmother is shooting him, takes the gun out, and he’s running out, and he’s just like, ‘David, I want to do another one.’"
"And in front of everybody, this huge crew and lights, it’s so nerve-wracking and just his willingness to fail.”
Cooper continued saying how in "awe" he was of the 6'4 tall human "just willing to try anything."
"It became all about us watching this artist just explore with complete abandon."
"And I remember like it was like a diamond through the middle of my head watching go, like, 'That's it. Like that freedom to just be absolutely willing to fail."
You can watch Cooper recall witnessing the moment that he said "changed" him "forever," here.
Colman Domingo, Bradley Cooper, Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy & Jeffrey Wright I SAG-Awards 2024youtu.be
Fans remembered the scene well.
@Variety Vince Vaughn was throwing heat in Wedding Crashers. One of the great comedy performances of all time— (@)
Dobkin reportedly insisted on having a three-and-a-half week rehearsal before shooting Wedding Crashers, which made sense given the director's background working in theater.
Producers strongly encouraged improvisation, especially from Vaughn and co-star Owen Wilson, and the breaks in the script allowed for such artistic freedom and exploration.
In a football scene, Vaughn famously spent 25 straight seconds ad-libbing a pre-snap playcalling moment on the spot.