Bradley Cooper on ‘American Sniper’ Controversy: Anything That Sparks Discussion on Plight of Soldiers Is ‘Fantastic’

Best Actor Oscar nominee sidesteps the buzz around Clint Eastwood’s war film

Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper (Frazer Harrison, Getty Images)
Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Bradley Cooper attended the annual Academy Awards nominee luncheon in Beverly Hills on Monday where the Best Actor hopeful addressed the controversy surrounding “American Sniper.”

“You never know when you make a movie that anyone is going to see it, so the audacity to think that it would cause any sort of effect would be pretty presumptuous,” Cooper told journalists at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

“I had no idea. But you know, any discussion that sheds light to the plight of the soldiers and the men and women of the armed services — for that discussion to occur is fantastic,”,he said.

Cooper plays late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, touted as the deadliest sniper in American history, who in fact died on this day two years ago.

While massive box office has made the film a rare January performer, the murky legacy of Kyle has divided the country into two camps: those who think he’s a hero, and those who think he’s a killer.

More to come …

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