Bradley Cooper talks about being ‘pickled punk’ in first-ever fully-nude bathtub scene for Nightmare Alley

Talking on KCRW show The Business with Kim Masters, he added: ‘Because the content of what the movie is, what we were exploring, in order to do it in a real way, it demanded that we be naked emotionally and soulfully and even physically for me too, which was a big deal.’

Cooper plays carnival worker-turned-con man mentalist Stanton Carlisle in the film, which he describes as ‘the hardest role I’ve ever played, and I’ve played some difficult roles’.

His nude scene saw the 47-year-old Marvel star bare his body, both full frontal and partial backside, during a sexual scene in a bathtub with Toni Collette’s character, Zeena.

The Oscar nominee shared: ‘I remember reading in the script and thinking, he’s a pickled punk in that bathtub and it’s to story. You have to do it.

‘I can still remember that day, just to be naked in front of the crew for six hours, and it was Toni Collette’s first day. It was just like, “Whoa.” It was pretty heavy.’

He also explained that he didn’t push back ‘at all’ on the naked scene as, in his opinion, ‘there was nothing gratuitous about it’.

In Nightmare Alley, Cooper’s character Stanton partners with psychiatrist Dr Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), making his world one of increased danger.

As well as Blanchett, the film sees Rooney Mara stars as a fellow carnival performer and Carlisle’s love interest, as well as Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Pearlman and David Strathairn.

At the movie’s premiere in December, the actor was supported by his ex, model Irina Shayk, with whom he shares four-year-old daughter Lea.

While the former couple did not walk the red carpet together at the New York event, the star told Entertainment Tonight that he found Shayk’s presence ‘very special’.

Nightmare Alley is out in cinemas on January 21.

Credit: Original article published here.You can read this post on My Celebrity Life.