In 2011, Bradley Cooper lost one of his best friends to cancer. He lost his father. It’s a moment that changed his life dramatically. He was already in the public eye as a budding star, but experiencing the death of his dad first-hand was a game changer for Cooper.
“My father gave me two gifts – having me and dying with me. I used to be the kid that got the shakes if I had to talk in public; now, I just don’t get nervous about stuff,” he told GQ magazine.
“I can’t control everything. I watched my father die and I realized that is the way we are all going to die. For me, it was a switch from knowing something intellectually to knowing it by tangibly experiencing it. It rewired my neurological system. It almost did the opposite of motivating me. It was about keeping the main thing the main thing.”
Since his father’s death, Cooper has gone on to star in critically acclaimed films, earning three Academy Award nominations and his place on Hollywood’s A-list. His rise to mega-fame hasn’t changed his giving spirit, especially when it comes to the topic of cancer; a topic he still holds very close to his heart.
On Wednesday (February 17), Delete Blood Cancer DKMS announced that The Hangover star registered as a bone marrow donor and is helping the organization raise awareness to register more donors.
Cooper met with Anthony Daniels. He is a young man in his mid-20s who has battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, for the past five years. After their meeting, Cooper joined the effort to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a donor.
“When I lost my father to cancer, I lost my best friend, my hero and my confidant. It was devastating for my whole family. When I first heard Anthony’s story, I knew that it was time I joined the fight against blood cancer and become a donor,” said Cooper.