Lady Gaga And Bradley Cooper's ‘A Star Is Born’ Facts You Might Have Missed

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper rose to fame as a love team after starring together in the 2018 remake of “A Star Is Born.” Here are some interesting facts about the Oscar-winning film you probably haven’t heard of before.

It Could Have Been Beyonce, Not Lady Gaga

It took years before the “A Star Is Born” remake saw the light of day. Before Cooper and Lady Gaga inked the deal to do the project, big names like Beyonce, Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lopez were originally attached to the project.

Clint Eastwood was the first to take interest in directing the film with DiCaprio and Beyonce as the lead stars, but Beyonce fell out of the project because of her pregnancy. Smith also wanted to star in the film with Lopez, but the two stars couldn’t get their schedules together.

Lady Gaga Paid Tribute To Judy Garland In The Film

One of the earliest scenes in the film showed Lady Gaga’s character, Ally, singing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” This song was reportedly a tribute to Garland, who played her role in the 1954 version of “A Star Is Born.” Garland famously sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in “The Wizard Of Oz.”

They Filmed At The Actual Coachella

When Cooper was making the film, he envisioned to recreate the concert feel by filming at actual music events. Some of the concert sequences in “A Star Is Born” were filmed at the actual Coachella Festival in 2017, where Lady Gaga and Cooper filmed their scenes during concert intermissions in front of a real audience.

Cooper Adopted A New Voice For The Film

While Cooper did not change his appearance too drastically to play Jackson Maine, he was somewhat unrecognizable in the film because of his voice. Sam Elliott, who played Jackson’s brother, Bobby, revealed that Cooper adopted a new way of speaking to match his distinct voice so he could better sell the idea that they were brothers.

Cooper Learned To Play The Guitar And Piano To Play His Role

In an interview following the film, Cooper revealed that he spent 6 months learning piano and guitar to prepare for his role as Jackson. “We mapped out my entire schedule, day by day,” he said. “I’d wake up and work out, followed by two hours of guitar practice and two hours of piano lessons,” he added.

One Scene Depicted An Actual Family Affair

One of the most interesting faces that popped up in small roles in “A Star Is Born” was Dave Chappelle. He played Noodles, Jackson’s old musician friend who brought Jackson and Ally to his house to meet his family. This extended sequence was an actual family affair as Noodles’ daughter in this scene was played by Chappelle’s daughter in real life.

Cooper’s Real-Life Dog Had A Cameo

Aside from the concert scenes and the real-life people who played small roles in the film, the little cameos also added to the authenticity of “A Star Is Born.” In the film, Ally gave Jackson a puppy named Charlie, and Jackson was quick to establish a bond with his new pet. It was because Charlie was Cooper’s real-life dog, and he was very special to Cooper as he was named after his late father.

Cooper Worked Hard To Mimic Pearl Jam Rocker Eddie Vedder

While working on the project, Cooper revealed in an interview that he planned on modeling his onstage performance in the film after the iconic Eddie Vedder. “I went up to Seattle and spent four or five days with him and I asked him 9,000 questions,” he said.

One Performance Convinced Cooper That Gaga Should Be His Female Lead

In the film, Jackson first met Ally during one of his small club appearances where she sang the song “La Vie En Rose.” Before taking on the project, Cooper saw Lady Gaga perform the same song at a benefit concert, and that remarkable performance convinced him that Gaga should play Ally in the “A Star Is Born” remake.

Lady Gaga’s Emotion In The Final Song Was Real

The most heartbreaking part of the film came after Jackson committed suicide. Following the event, Ally returned to Shrine Auditorium to pay tribute to Jackson and sang “I’ll Never Love Again.” The moment was deeply emotional for Lady Gaga as she filmed the scene moments after learning that a good friend of hers had died.