Bradley Cooper talks hair, 'Hustle' and working with Louis C.K.

By Glenn Whipp

Jan. 7, 2014 12 AM PT

This time last year, Bradley Cooper was promoting his Oscar-nominated turn in David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” while preparing to make another movie with the director. The day after the Oscars, Cooper flew to Boston to begin pre-production on “American Hustle,” and here we are again, talking about another great Russell film featuring a cast — Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner — playing roles unlike anything we’ve seen them do before.

Cooper joined us for a Web chat to talk about “Hustle,” in which he plays a slightly unhinged FBI agent looking to, in Cooper’s words, “hang with the cool kids.” There was much discussion about the fine art of hair perming and why we shouldn’t be surprised if he sports some curls in the future.

Cooper also elaborated on his role and how the “Hustle” character evolved from a more traditional law enforcement type to a guy who eats chicken wings and listens to ball games in the bathroom of the apartment he shares with his mother. He also talked about working with Louis C.K., who plays his boss in the movie and shares a number of fine, funny scenes with Cooper. Have a listen.

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