Bradley Cooper Says He Considered Adele For A Star Is Born

Bradley Cooper considered Adele for 2018’s A Star Is Born.

Cooper made his directorial debut with the musical drama, in which he played country music star Jackson Maine opposite Lady Gaga, who portrayed aspiring singer Ally.

However, Mother Monster wasn’t his only choice for the film. Speaking at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 8, Cooper disclosed that he had “thought about Adele” when casting for the role of Ally.

“It was like, his career’s not great. He goes abroad,” he said, outlining how the plot could’ve worked with Adele. “He meets this woman, but no — and then that never even took off at all.”

Obviously, Lady Gaga — real name Stefani Germanotta — was ultimately cast in 2017. The film became a critical and commercial success, earning more than $436 million at the global box office. Both Cooper and Gaga were nominated in several major categories at the 2019 Academy Awards, including for Best Original Song, which Gaga won with the film’s breakout track, “Shallow.”

Adele Has The Acting Bug

While Adele’s only onscreen credit is a brief cameo in Ugly Betty Season 3, the singer told Vanity Fair in Dec. 2023 that she might be open to acting.

“There is one movie I want to do, but the guy whose movie it would be, he’s not mentally ready to write the script for it,” she said. “That’s the only role I ever want. Because I think I’d nail it. I think I’d do really, really, really good at it.”

Another A-lister Was Also Considered

Cooper also discussed how Beyoncé was almost cast in the 2018 remake, but eventually dropped out of the project.

“She was incredible,” he said on Feb. 8. “And we went down the road and then it didn’t work out. I remember I was so nervous. I had this weird cough as I was pitching it to her.”