Eddie Vedder Warned Bradley Cooper Not to Remake ‘A Star Is Born,’ Ended Up Inspiring the Actor’s Lead Role

Bradley Cooper has said in the past that many people told him not to tackle a remake of “A Star Is Born” as his directorial debut, and now we know for sure that Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder was one of the skeptics. Speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment, Cooper said that Vedder called him nuts for thinking about remaking the classic Hollywood story.

“He thought it was crazy I was going to do this movie,” Cooper said. “He was like, ‘What? Bro, don’t do that.’”

Cooper was meeting with Vedder in the first place so that he could get a feel for what it’s like to be an actual rock star. The director appears in the film as Jackson Maine, an aging country rock star struggling with addiction and waning popularity. Vedder might not have liked the idea, but he ended up inspiring Cooper anyways.

“I went up to Seattle and spent four or five days with him and I asked him 9,000 questions,” Cooper told Yahoo. “And he gave me minor, little things that only musicians know about what to do, just aesthetically and the inner workings…He was wonderful.”

Fortunately, Cooper didn’t let doubts from Vedder or others get in his head. “A Star Is Born” has been earning acclaim and stirring up tons of Oscar buzz ever since world premiering at the Venice International Film Festival last month. Cooper stars opposite Lady Gaga in the music drama, which is also expected to bring in big box office numbers for Warner Bros.

“A Star Is Born” opens nationwide October 5.