Bradley Cooper calls having a baby with Irina Shayk a ‘miracle’

Bradley Cooper would have never thought that starting a family with Irina Shayk, 32, could change his entire outlook on life.

But the 43-year-old actor said it has, and he credits his supermodel girlfriend and their one-year-old daughter Lea De Seine in helping him become more ‘present’ as an actor.

‘So I guess having a child, and having a family of my own — which is a miracle and something I’ve always dreamt of — has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present,’ said the Pennsylvania native, who is directing and acting in A Star Is Born.

Family support: Bradley Cooper would have never thought that starting a family with Irina Shayk, 32, could change his entire outlook on life. Seen in May

The movie star said A Star Is Born was the first time in his career where he could simply focus on a movie and take his time with it as opposed to jumping from one project to the next. 

Taking into consideration all of the films he has starred in over the course of almost 20 years, the actor admits that he had gotten to a point in life where he had lost direction on what kind of stories he wanted to bring to the forefront.

Cooper told PEOPLE Magazine that it wasn’t until he reached the age of 39 where he decided to slow down.

He stressed that while he’s had a string of blockbuster hits, nothing has felt as authentic as working on a movie for a staggering four years.

Quality time with baby Lea: Working on a movie for as long as he did on his latest project made Cooper aware of the beauty in taking time when creating art; pictured in Venice, Italy in August

‘I spent about 15 years going from movie to movie to movie. And then I hit 39 and I stopped and I said, ‘What do I really want to do?’ Bradley tells the publication.

‘I want to tell Joseph Merrick’s story in The Elephant Man. So I did that for a year.

‘Then this story came to me, A Star Is Born, and then I spent the next four years doing that.’

Working on a movie for as long as he did on his latest film made Cooper aware of the beauty in taking time when creating art.

 A Star Is Born will mark the first time that the War Dogs star took on an astounding number of roles on a film set.

Cooper is credited as a screenwriter, director, and actor in the motion picture which co-stars pop star Lady Gaga, 32.

‘It’s worth all the time to dedicate, even if one piece of art comes out of it in a half a decade, that would still be incredible as long as I can feel like it’s the movie I wanted to make, which is this movie,’ the American Sniper actor continued. 

Leading lady: Cooper is credited as a screenwriter, director, and actor in the motion picture which co-stars pop star Lady Gaga, 32; pictured at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9

Leading lady: Cooper is credited as a screenwriter, director, and actor in the motion picture which co-stars pop star Lady Gaga, 32; pictured at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9

His first directorial effort: It would appear that by taking his time in putting together his first directorial film has paid off

His first directorial effort: It would appear that by taking his time in putting together his first directorial film has paid off

It would appear that taking his time in putting together his first directorial film has paid off.

A Star is Born is already expected to be nominated for Best Picture at the 90th Annual Academy Awards.

The full Oscar nominations will be announced during a live stream on January 23 while the actual ceremony will air on March 4.

Working hard to plug the film: Cooper attends 2018 Toronto International Film Festival - A Star Is Born Press Conference last week

Working hard to plug the film: Cooper attends 2018 Toronto International Film Festival – A Star Is Born Press Conference last week

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