Bradley Cooper reveals he battled cocaine and alcohol addiction before Hangover fame

He credits Will Arnett for helping him turn his life around

Bradley Cooper has opened up about his struggles with cocaine and alcohol before his breakthrough role in The Hangover. Cooper was appearing on the podcast Smartless, hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. Discussing his issues with addiction and self-esteem when he was first finding his way in Hollywood, Cooper said Arnett was the one who helped turn his life around. He recalled how in 2004, the Arrested Development and BoJack Horseman star came round to his house in the late afternoon and noticed that Cooper still hadn't let his dogs out to go to the toilet. Cooper said this was the "first time I ever realized" he had a problem with drugs and alcohol. and that this moment changed his "entire life." He credited Arnett for sparking a "metamorphosis" he went through, saying he had a "hard conversation" with him that put Cooper on the "path of deciding to change my life." The 47-year-old said he had "zero self-esteem," was "totally depressed" and was "addicted to cocaine" when he first moved to LA for a series called Alias which he "got fired-slash-quit from." Bateman, best known for his roles in Arrested Development and Ozark, then added that Cooper is now the polar opposite of what he was back then, describing his current self as warm, thoughtful and generous, Entertainment Weekly reports. [caption id="attachment_341954" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Cooper credits friend and fellow actor Will Arnett (left) with having the 'hard conversation' with him that helped him turn his life around (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)[/caption] And Cooper reflected that hitting rock bottom before he reached worldwide fame as a result of The Hangover was a "benefit." "I did have the benefit of that happening when I was 29," Cooper explained. "But moving to Los Angeles for Alias, [I was] feeling like I was back in high school: I could not get into any clubs, no girls wanted to look at me. I was totally depressed. "I was 36 when I did The Hangover, so I got to go through all those things before fame even played into my existence on a daily level. So all that happened before any of that."

Agreeing with Cooper, Arnett said: "You went through this metamorphosis before The Hangover. Having those realizations and having that change allowed you to — that's what opened you up and allowed you to be you." Since starring in The Hangover, Cooper has gone on to be nominated for numerous Academy Awards for his performances in Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American Sniper. And in 2018 he received widespread acclaim for directing and starring in A Star Is Born.