Bradley Cooper says Robert De Niro encouraged him to make the move into directing.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper

The 43-year-old actor moved behind the camera for the first time earlier this year when he helmed 'A Star Is Born', and Bradley has revealed the veteran Hollywood star previously urged him to make the switch.

Recalling his transition from actor to director, Bradley told The Hollywood Reporter: "I tried to get him to do this movie, 'Limitless', and combine two characters. That was the first time I tried to cast a movie, even though I wasn't the director, and I went to see him in his hotel room.

"I was pitching him the whole thing and then he wound up saying yes, which blew my mind because he was my hero. After that movie, he said he thought I should direct."

But in September, Bradley admitted his directorial debut was a huge risk.

The world-famous star - who also appears in the movie - admitted he placed a massive amount of trust in his co-star Lady Gaga.

Bradley confessed: "The thing that I was very aware of from the beginning and I cherish even to this day is how much we both had at stake, because it was a first for both of us.

"We knew that going into it, we were really going to have to rely on each other, because it's scary putting yourself out there to this degree."

And Gaga said it was "incredible" to watch Bradley on the set of the film.

She shared: "Just watching him direct, watching him write, watching him write, not just the screenplay, but watching him write music for himself, becoming a musician, seeing him create his character and him guiding me through the process. It was just incredible."

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