Is Bradley Cooper Eying a 'Great Gatsby' Role?

By Moviefone Editors Posted Mar 15th 2011 07:31AM

Bradley Cooper isn't a name people associate with the paragons of English literature, but if 'The Hangover' star has his way, you'll be seeing him in the upcoming Baz Luhrmann adaptation of 'The Great Gatsby.'

The movie -- which will be shot in 3-D and filmed in Australia tentatively this August -- already stars Carey Mulligan in the role of Daisy, Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, who is also the story's narrator. Cooper's gunning for the part of Tom Buchanan, which isn't a far cry from some of the roles the comedic actor has taken on in the past.

In an interview with The New York Times, Cooper talks about F. Scott Fitzgerald's detestable millionaire, who almost feels like the nastier version of Cooper's Sack Lodge in 2005's 'Wedding Crashers.'

"To me, he's the best character in the book. He's so complicated," the actor said. "He's xenophobic, he's an alcoholic, but he also understands some profound stuff about class. Whoever plays it has to take a gentle hand, because it could so easily be stock, where he's a rich jerk you don't identify with at all."

In case you need a refresher, Buchanan is Daisy's racist husband who carries on an affair with Myrtle Wilson, but doesn't take kindly to Jay Gatsby's obsession with his wife.

If you're thinking that Cooper's a long shot for the role, you're not alone. The actor revealed, "I don't even know if I'm on Luhrmann's radar. Maybe he'll read this article after the role's cast and say, 'Oh. Ha. Yeah, that guy was never going to get it.'"

Cooper has cocky covered in spades, but does he have the chops to expand the subtleties of a more complex character in a dramatic role?

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Comments

(4)

Tuesday 15 March

By leslamonte

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a good charcter actor, but not a leading man, he lacks the it factor.

By Stacey

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I would definitely see this movie if Bradley Cooper was cast. For everyone who only knows him from "The Hangover," he can definitely do more. Hopefully "Limitless" will showcase more of his talent. LOVE, Bradley!

By Janice Sweeney

Bradley was terrific in The Hangover and I'm anxiously awaiting II, but I know he also will be great in the part of Tom Buchanan. I hope he gets cast in the role.

By AMC

This article tells me two things. Whoever wrote it has never read "Great Gatsby" or didn't get it and they've never seen "Alias".

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