American Sniper featurette sheds light on the true story behind Navy SEAL Chris Kyle

EXCLUSIVE: It’s the action film that’s been generating plenty of Oscars buzz, and this clip provides further insight into the life of the deadliest sniper in US military history.

EXCLUSIVE: It’s the action film that’s been generating plenty of Oscars buzz, and this brand new featurette provides further insight into the true story behind American Sniper.

The Clint Eastwood-directed war drama is based on the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper), sent to Iraq with a mission to protect his brothers-in-arms.

Also starring Sienna Miller, the previously unseen clip contains snippets of interviews with Eastwood, Cooper, Miller and Chris Kyle’s wife, Taya.

“It was like watching Chris in many, many ways. I walked away in awe,” Taya says of the first time she watched the biopic based on her husband’s life.

“It’s about a man who’s torn between two great responsibilities — a responsibility to his country and a responsibility to family,” Eastwood explains.

Bradley Cooper stars as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in American Sniper.

Cooper, who packed on more than 13kg for the role, says of his bulked-up, bearded appearance: “I had to get huge in order for you to see the inside of him.

“The whole movie is about a man who has dedicated his life to protecting others, and the price of doing that.”

With 2015 Oscars nominations being released on Thursday, Cooper’s performance is likely to put the two-time Oscar nominee in line for a third straight nod.

With 160 confirmed kills, Chris Kyle served four tours in Iraq and was the deadliest sniper in US military history.

Kyle, 38, was killed in February 2013 by a fellow veteran at a shooting range in Texas. He was married with two children.

American Sniper is already dominating the box office in the US and is set to hit Australian cinemas on January 22.

Bradley Cooper appears in a scene from American Sniper.