- "Maestro" star Bradley Cooper lost the Oscar for best actor to "Oppenheimer" actor Cillian Murphy.
- Cooper guest-starred as himself on an "Abbott Elementary" episode that aired directly after the show.
Bradley Cooper may not have been the golden boy at the 2024 Oscars, but at least he gets a warm welcome in Philadelphia.
The "Maestro" star, who lost the coveted best actor award to Cillian Murphy for his role in "Oppenheimer," capped off awards season with a guest appearance on "Abbott Elementary" directly after the telecast.
But unlike Cooper's Oscar-nominated performance, which saw him disappearing into the role — and nose — of famed conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, his "Abbott" appearance saw him poking fun at his own self-serious reputation.
Cooper, a Pennsylvania native, plays himself on 'Abbott Elementary'
In the opening scene of season three, episode six ("Willard R. Abbott"), one of Melissa Schemmenti's (Lisa Ann Walter) students, Khalil, says that he saw Cooper outside, noticed people taking pictures with him, and figured it was worth asking a famous person to join him for show-and-tell.
"Whenever I'm in Philly, you know the deli across the street? That's my first stop," Cooper explains. "My dad used to always take me there. They have the best hoagies in the city."
Melissa immediately messages the other teachers and staff, who quickly enter the classroom and stand with their mouths agape, shocked to be in the presence of the Oscar nominee.
"If you're famous, are you in 'Spider-Man?'" one kid asks.
"I'm not in 'Spider-Man,' but I am in 'Guardians of the Galaxy," Cooper says, doing the Rocket Raccoon voice after Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) insists that he's not part of the Marvel superhero group.
The other teachers shout out some of their favorite Cooper roles, from "Alias" and "He's Just Not That Into You" to "Wet Hot American Summer."
After Ava Coleman (Janelle James) says that Cooper doesn't look famous, one student says that his teeth should be whiter.
"Oh, I just loved you in 'The Holdovers.' It was just so heartwarming," says Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), who's known for her pop culture mix-ups.
"Guys, he's literally in a critically acclaimed film right now," Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) chimes in. But before she can name-drop "Maestro," Melissa assumes that Cooper starred in "Oppenheimer" — his awards season competitor.
"I wasn't in 'Oppenheimer,'" Cooper responds, with a skeptical Ava asking, "Are you sure? Everybody was in 'Oppenheimer.'"
Before making a dash to get a hoagie, Cooper takes a group photo with the teachers and points out that public schools in the area are "criminally underfunded."
Cooper's Oscars campaign rubbed some the wrong way, leading him to be described as "a try-hard"
Cooper has previously been praised for his Oscar-nominated roles in films like "Silver Linings Playbook" and "A Star Is Born." But public opinion took a hard turn with 2023's "Maestro," which Cooper cowrote, directed, produced, and starred in as famed real-life conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein.
The movie nabbed several Oscar nominations, including best actor, best actress, and best picture.
Cooper's effort to pay homage to the late musician was earnest, but his TMI approach to promoting the film during the press tour and awards season gave people the ick.
This includes his recent comments about being completely fine with being nude around the house, admitting to "always" taking showers with his dad, and saying that it took eight months to "really love" his daughter that he shares with ex Irina Shayk. All of these comments came from a single interview, by the way, as part of Dax Shephard's "Armchair Expert" podcast.
Beyond oversharing, Cooper threw shade at awards season rival Cillian Murphy during his interview with Emma Stone for Variety's "Actors on Actors" series.
During the conversation, Cooper said that "Maestro" and Stone's film "Poor Things" couldn't have been made without years of preparation.
"This wasn't like you got a call and then in six months you're gonna do it," he said. "This had to have taken years."
Murphy had six months to prepare for his career-defining performance as the father of the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer." He received rave reviews for his portrayal, was a frontrunner for best actor, and won the award on Sunday. Meanwhile, Cooper spent six years preparing for "Maestro" and the final result was deemed blatant Oscar bait.
To be fair, Cooper wasn't the only star too eager to prove their worth to the Academy this season.
"Barbie" star Ryan Gosling also released a lazy, gimmicky "I'm Just Ken" EP in an attempt to get nominated for best original song — which he did. (But Billie Eilish won the Oscar, as expected.)
But after Cooper's exhausting campaign, he — and the internet — could benefit from a breather.
Go get that hoagie, Bradley.