Bradley Cooper Wanted Howard Stern to Shave His Head and Play His Brother in “A Star Is Born”

On ‘The Howard Stern Show,’ Cooper recalled asking the radio host to play the role that eventually went to Sam Elliott

Howard Stern almost had a part in A Star Is Born, according to director-star Bradley Cooper.

“Did we ever talk about how I asked you to do Star Is Born?” asked Cooper of his longtime friend on an episode of The Howard Stern Show posted Monday.

“I’ve never told anyone because I felt bad for the guy who got the role,” Stern said, referring to Sam Elliott, who the host also called “fantastic.”

In his Oscar-winning 2018 remake of A Star Is Born costarring Lady Gaga, Cooper, 48, played singer Jackson "Jack" Maine, while Elliott played the character’s half-brother and manager Bobby.

Related: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper Heat Up 2019 Oscars with Intimate 'Shallow' Performance

The Maestro helmer revealed to listeners that after approached Stern, 69, to play the part of Bobby, the two seriously thought about the idea — including having Stern shave his head. 

On his show, the radio personality recalled thinking, “‘Whoa, he must think I'm a lot better looking… They’re gonna be like, 'What the f---, what is it, this movie gonna be like Twins?' I'm Danny DeVito and he's Arnold Schwarzenegger or something? What the hell's going on here?"

Stern continued, “I said, 'I'm gonna go full-on into it. I'm gonna shave my head, I’m gonna change my whole look.' I was really toying with the idea."

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Related: Andrew Dice Clay Shares How Bradley Cooper Cast Him as Lady Gaga's Father in A Star Is Born

Cooper says Stern’s willingness to alter his physical appearance for the role “very exciting” as him as a director. "You said, 'Give me a couple weeks,' " he remembered. "It wasn't like you said no right away… You really contemplated this."

Stern also joked that his performance would have been award-worthy. “It would have been awesome, me at the Oscars," he added. “Can you imagine? Maybe we’ll do it one day!”

Cooper responded, “I think it’s gonna happen. I just have to figure out the right thing so that you’ll say yes.”

Stern last appeared in a film in 2012 with an uncredited role in Men in Black 3. He made his on-camera debut in the 1986 film Ryder, P.I. and played himself in 1997’s Private Parts.

Related: How Bradley Cooper Transformed Into Leonard Bernstein for Maestro: 5 Hours of Makeup, Years of Research (Exclusive)

Following his feature directorial debut with A Star Is Born, Cooper directed, co-wrote and starred in the new Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro.

The Oscar nominee also starred in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 this year.

Maestro opens in select theaters now and begins streaming on Netflix Dec. 20.

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