Bradley Cooper reveals he was ‘addicted to cocaine’ in his ‘lost’ 20s

The Oscar-nominated actor has opened up about his past struggles, revealing he turned to drugs after his termination from the action-thriller series Alias.

Bradley Cooper is getting real about his past battles with drugs and alcohol.

The A Star Is Born actor-director has revealed how he fell off the deep end — hard — following his termination from the Jennifer Garner action-thriller series Alias in the early 2000s, the New York Post reports.

Cooper got candid about his substance abuse issues on Amazon Music and Wondery’s SmartLess podcast, which is co-hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes.

“I was so lost and I was addicted to cocaine — that was the other thing,” said Cooper, 47.

“I severed my Achilles tendon right after I got fired/quit Alias. ”

Stream more entertainment news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >

Bradley Cooper left the Jennifer Garner thriller series Alias after its second season in 2003. Picture: Valerie Macon / AFP.

The father of one and Silver Linings Playbook Oscar nominee added that he also coped with “zero self-esteem” and detailed his struggles with chemical abuse in the early days of his career.

“I did have the benefit of that happening when I was 29. I thought I made it when I got a Wendy’s commercial. In terms of the ‘made it’ thing, that’s when I made it,” said Cooper, who is currently filming Maestro, an already controversial biopic of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein.

“But I definitely did not feel [it], moving to Los Angeles for Alias feeling like I was back in high school. I could not get into any clubs, no girls wanted to look at me.”

In short, he “was totally depressed. It wasn’t really until The Hangover. 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.”

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Garner in an episode of ‘Alias.’

Arnett, 52, interjected that Cooper “having those realisations and having that change allowed” him to be his true self.

“It’s true,” Cooper noted. “I definitely made major breakthroughs at 29 to 33, 34, where at least I was able to stand in front of somebody and breathe and listen and talk.”

Cooper then credited Arnett — who has been open about suffering from alcoholism himself — for talking to him about his struggles in July 2004, and setting him on a “path of deciding to change my life.”

The Arrested Development star then stated that he saw a “difference” in Cooper, telling him, “It has been awesome seeing you in this place and seeing you comfortable. Nothing has made me happier. It’s made me happy to see you so happy with who you are.”

Cooper shot to fame after the 2009 comedy film The Hangover.

Cooper’s role on Alias was reduced in 2003 and his character was sidelined in Season 2.

He told GQ in 2013 that his drug and booze problems were going to “sabotage my whole life” if he didn’t get help.

“I think work was getting f — ed up. The one thing that I’ve learned in life is the best thing I can do is embrace who I am and then do that to the fullest extent, and then whatever happens, happens,” he said at the time.

“The more steps I do to not do that, the farther I am away from fulfilling any potential I would have.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.