Bradley Cooper Explained Why It Was "Pretty Heavy" To Do Full-Frontal Nudity For The First Time In "Nightmare Alley"

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You know Bradley Cooper — and maybe you saw his latest performance in Guillermo Del Toro's Nightmare Alley.

Cooper lights a cigarette shirtless
Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

If you haven't seen it, Cooper does full-frontal nudity for the first time in his career — and on a recent episode of the KCRW radio show The Business, the actor opened up about the experience.

Cooper smiles while wearing a hat and bow tie
Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

“I remember reading in the script and thinking, he’s a pickled punk in that bathtub, and it’s to story," he explained on finding out that the scene, filmed with co-star Toni Collette, was in the movie. "You have to do it.”

Cooper puts his hand up in front of him
Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

Cooper noted that he didn't question the scene's inclusion because "there was nothing gratuitous about it," but that doesn't mean the shoot wasn't without its challenges.

Cooper smokes a cigarette while leaning against a post
Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

“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," he recalled. "It was just like, ‘Whoa.’ It was pretty heavy.”

Cooper looks at Rooney Mara
Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

Nightmare Alley is in theaters now.

Listen to the entire interview here.