John Bishop Reveals How He Really Feels About Bradley Cooper’s New Film Inspired By His Life

Posted on 23/10/2025 by Boris Clair

John Bishop has admitted he’s finding it both “brilliant” and “bizarre” that Bradley Cooper has turned his life story into one of the year’s most-hyped films.

Earlier this year, it was announced that John’s story was being adapted into the comedy Is This Thing On?, helmed by the A Star Is Born and Maestro director with Arrested Development star Will Arnett in the lead role.

The film centres around a man who turns to stand-up comedy when his marriage starts falling apart.

While the movie’s characters are fictional (Will plays aspiring comic Alex Novak while Oscar winner Laura Dern plays his wife, Tess), the story is based on events from John’s own life.

He told BBC Merseyside he found it “so weird” that “this is happening, but so brilliant at the same time”.

Will Arnett and John Bishop at the premiere of their film Is This Thing On?

Recalling the first time he introduced his wife to the Oscar nominee, John said: “[Bradley Cooper] gave Melanie a hug and then Melanie had a minute with him, talking to him, but she was whispering in his ear.

“We come back to the hotel and I was saying ‘This has been a mad few days’. I said: ‘What are you going to remember most about it?’ She said: ‘Whispering in Bradley Cooper’s ear’. That kind of doesn’t make me feel great…”

During an appearance on the podcast RHLSTP earlier this year, comedian Chloe Radcliffe (who plays a supporting role in Is This Thing On), explained: “I think Will and John sat next to each other at a dinner 10 years ago, and Will heard his story, and was like, ‘That rules, I want to do that someday’.”

John first pursued a career in 2000, following a brief break in his marriage to his wife Melanie (the pair eventually reunited and share three sons, Joe, Luke and Daniel).

He opened up about his first time performing during Graham Norton’s 2024 New Year’s Eve special, claiming he put his name down to appear at an open night mic on a whim.

“It was four pounds. I was going through a divorce. I thought, ‘Well, that’s four pounds she’s not getting’,” he quipped.

John added: “I was meant to do seven minutes but because there was no one there, they let me carry on, and I did about 25 minutes. When I walked off I remember Mick, the compere, and the fella who ran the place, Dave Perkin, coming up to me and saying, ‘Where have you been doing your stand-up?’. I said ‘I’ve never done it in my life’. And he said, ’Well some of that was really good, some of that was fun. The bit where you started talking about getting divorced and started crying… don’t do that again. But come back’.”

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Elsewhere in his BBC Merseyside interview, John revealed that he was able to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his first stand-up performance at the same venue on his latest tour.

The next night, he attended the London Film Festival for a premiere screening of Is This Thing On?.

You couldn’t write it,” he enthused. “You couldn’t line things up like that as perfectly [as they have]. It’s been odd trying to get my head around it.”

Is This Thong On? hits US cinemas in December, with a UK release date yet to be confirmed.

Oscars 2024: 25 Surprising Stars Who’ve Still Never Won An Academy Award

Posted on 09/03/2024 by Boris Clair

Every year, the Oscars ceremony features some of our favourite film stars, directors, writers and even musicians accepting one of the most prestigious cinema awards there is in front of their peers.

The 2023 Academy Awards gave us first-time victories for stars like Michelle Yeoh, Brendan Fraser and Jamie Lee Curtis – but sadly, there’s only space for one winner per category each year, meaning there are still many deserving actors who’ve missed out, time and time again.

Here are 24 of the living Hollywood stars who, surprisingly, still have an Oscar-shaped space on their mantelpiece (including a few of this year’s big contenders)…

Amy Adams

Considered by many to be “the new Leonardo DiCaprio” when it comes to the Oscars, Amy Adams has been nominated for six Academy Awards, most recently in 2019, only to leave empty-handed every year.

The good news for Amy is that Leo got his win on his sixth nomination, so if she really is following in his footsteps, she shouldn’t have to wait too much longer.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close holds the dubious distinction of being the living actor who has the most Oscar nominations without a win.

As of 2024, the esteemed performer has been nominated for an Academy Award a whopping eight times, but has never come out on top.

Her most recent nomination came in 2021, with a nod in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the divisive Netflix offering Hillbilly Elegy – a role that also landed the Fatal Attraction star a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress.

Samuel L Jackson

Despite over 50 years (!!!) in the entertainment industry, Samuel L Jackson has landed just one Oscar nomination in his career.

Back in 1994, he was on the Best Supporting Actor shortlist for playing Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. He lost out to Martin Landau on the night, and hasn’t been nominated again since.

However, it’s worth pointing out that he did win an Honorary Academy Award in 2021, after being recognised as a “cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide”.

Bradley Cooper

Between acting, directing, producing and screenwriting, Bradley Cooper has scored a whopping 12 nominations – including two at the upcoming ceremony for his work on Maestro.

When it comes to acting, he’s been recognised for his performances in American Hustle, American Sniper, A Star Is Born and, most recently, Maestro, for which he’s also up for Best Original Screenplay.

Scarlett Johansson

Lost In Translation star Scarlett Johansson is similarly yet to be awarded by the Motion Picture Academy, although she does have two Oscar nominations to her name – both of which came in the same year.

In 2020, Scarlett was nominated in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories for her roles in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, but was pipped to the win by Renée Zellweger and Laura Dern, respectively.

Angela Bassett

As if the fact Angela Bassett has never won an Oscar isn’t galling enough – she’d actually only been nominated once before 2023.

Angela’s sole nomination came in 1993, following her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It?.

Thirty years later, she made history when she became the first star to receive an Oscar nomination for a performance in a Marvel film. Sadly, though, this resulted in a second loss.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal is another A-list actor we’re surprised to hear has been given only a small amount of love by the Oscars.

In fact, it’s been over 15 years since Jake last bagged an Academy Award nomination, earning his first and only nod for his supporting role in Brokeback Mountain.

David Oyelowo

The Oscars’ lack of recognition for David Oyelowo’s performance as Martin Luther King Jr Selma is one of the biggest snubs in recent history, sparking a major backlash at the time.

Despite a number of critically-acclaimed performances to his name, the British star is yet to be nominated for an Academy Award. Seriously, Oscars. Sort. It. Out.

Toni Collette

Off the top of our head, we can probably come up with six or seven Toni Collette performances that would have been deserving an Oscar win – and yet, the Australian star has just one nomination under her belt (for The Sixth Sense, if you’re wondering).

As one of the most versatile actors in the game, we’re confident that Toni’s time is coming… and when it does, it will be long overdue.

Sir Ian McKellen

He might have Oliviers coming out of his ears (seven in total), but Sir Ian McKellen is yet to be awarded the biggest honour in the film industry.

Sir Ian does have two Oscar nominations, but neither of them translated to a win. He hasn’t fared any better on his home soil, either, with neither of his four previous Bafta nominations resulting in him taking home an award.

Beyoncé

Roles in acclaimed films like Dreamgirls and Cadillac Records led many fans to think that Beyoncé was setting her sights on Oscars glory.

Although neither ended in so much as a nomination, when she signed up to voice Nala in The Lion King (contributing a new song to the beloved soundtrack), it was thought she might get her win in the form of a Best Original Song victory. Sadly, this didn’t end up landing her a nomination, either.

We reckon she probably doesn’t need to lose sleep about that, though, as 2023 saw her becoming the most-awarded person in Grammys history.

In 2022, she finally landed her first ever nomination for her contribution to the King Richard soundtrack, although the award went to Billie Eilish for her James Bond theme No Time To Die.

Dolly Parton

Like many musicians before her, Dolly Parton has made the transition into acting with roles in films like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and, of course, 9 To 5.

While the Academy never recognised Dolly’s acting (the Golden Globes did, though!), she does have two Best Original Song nominations to her name.

In recent years, Dolly has continued contributing new music to films like Dumplin’ and the Netflix festive film Christmas On The Square, though, so a win could well be on the horizon if she keeps it up.

Sir Kenneth Branagh

One of Britain’s most highly-regarded exports, Sir Kenneth Branagh has received five Academy Award nominations for his acting, writing and directing.

Sadly, the gold statuette has alluded the multi-talented star each time.

Michelle Williams

Since 2006, Michelle Williams has earned Oscar nominations for her performances in Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week With Marilyn, Manchester By The Sea and, more recently, The Fabelmans.

In 2019, she did win an Emmy on her first nomination for Fosse/Verdon, so we reckon it won’t be long until the Academy catches up.

Michelle Pfeiffer

In a career spanning more than three decades, Michelle Pfeiffer has been nominated for an Oscar on three different occasions, but so far, the Academy Award has always eluded her.

Sadly, none of these nominations were for Grease 2, which we can only describe as a huge oversight.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has been nominated for three Oscars over the course of his career (although it has been more than two decades since his last nod), but he’s never come out on top in his category.

In 2023, there was speculation he could pick up a fourth acting nomination for his role in the Top Gear sequel Maverick. While this didn’t materalise in the end, the film itself was recognised in the Best Picture category, meaning Tom is technically now a four-time nominee thanks to his producing role on the film.

Christopher Nolan

While many of his films have received Oscars over the years, 2018 marked Christopher Nolan’s first ever Best Director nomination, thanks to Dunkirk.

He lost out to Guillermo Del Toro for The Shape Of Water, marking the Mexican filmmaker’s first time receiving an Academy Award.

It’s looking like 2024 could well be his year, though, after Oppenheimer triumphed throughout awards season.

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver has racked up three nominations over the years but sadly, the win has eluded her each time.

At the 1989 ceremony, she was up for both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress prizes, but lost out to Jodie Foster and Geena Davis, respectively.

Michael Keaton

“Is this the year Michael Keaton finally wins his Oscar?” Vanity Fair asked, hopefully, in 2016.

Sadly, it was not and, in fact, he didn’t even score a nomination for the movie sparking the question, The Founder.

His 2014 nomination, earned for his star turn in Birdman, remains Michael’s only Oscar-nominated role.

Annette Bening

Annette Bening’s performances in The Kids Are Alright, Being Julia, American Beauty and The Grifters have all made the Academy’s shortlist – but she was pipped to the post each time.

In 2024, she was a somewhat surprising inclusion on the Best Actress shortlist, where she’s facing stiff competition from Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone, Sandra Hüller and Carey Mulligan.

Still, she’s continuing to win praise for recent films like 20th Century Women, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool and The Report, so even if she doesn’t manage it this year, a future Oscar win is definitely not out of the question for Annette.

Helena Bonham Carter

The British star is known for her quirky and offbeat roles, but despite Helena Bonham Carter’s bold choices when it comes to acting, the Academy is yet to reward her efforts with a win.

She does have two nominations, though, for The Wings Of The Dove and The King’s Speech.

Hugh Jackman

In recent years, Hugh Jackman has been at the centre of Oscar buzz for films like The Front Runner, Bad Education and even The Greatest Showman, although none of them led to an actual nomination.

The Australian star did receive a nod back once, though, following his leading performance in Les Misérables in 2013.

Taraji P Henson

Are we ever going to get over the total snub that happened in 2017, when Taraji P Henson was missing from the Best Actress category?

Probably not, no.

The Hidden Figures star does one have Oscar nomination under her belt, thanks to her role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

Diane Warren

For those not familiar with Diane Warren, she’s the songwriter behind hit movie soundtrack tunes like Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now, There You’ll Be and I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.

Remarkably, she’s now been nominated for an Oscar 15 times without a win – and true to form, she’s in the running in 2024, so this could well be her year.

John Travolta

HuffPost favourite John Travolta has become something of an Oscars staple in recent years, thanks to iconic moments like his “Adele Dazeem” gaffe, his after-party dance-off with Lady Gaga, his awkward pose with Scarlett Johansson and the fact he was the one to give Will Smith his award after the slap seen around the world.

John does have two Oscar nominations of his own, one for Saturday Night Fever and a second for Pulp Fiction, although neither ended up in a win for him.

But while he may not have any trophies to show for it, we’d still argue no one has won at the Oscars more times than Mr Travolta…

Bradley Cooper Supported By Anti-Defamation League Amid Debate Over Prosthetic Nose In Maestro

Posted on 22/08/2023 by Boris Clair

Bradley Cooper has received support from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) amid an ongoing debate about his upcoming film.

Last week, the trailer for Bradley’s latest project Maestro – a Netflix original in which the Oscar nominee portrays the legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein – was released.

However, soon after the teaser was posted online, many took issue with the fact the actor had worn a prosthetic nose to play the late musician, which some critics felt played into anti-Semitic stereotypes, particularly as Bradley himself is not Jewish.

On Monday, the ADL released a statement on the matter to Variety, which read: “Throughout history, Jews were often portrayed in antisemitic films and propaganda as evil caricatures with large, hooked noses.

“This film, which is a biopic on the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, is not that.”

Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Bradley previously received support from Bernstein’s family, who released a statement reading: “Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father.

“We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration. It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts.

“It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose. Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well.

“Any strident complaints around this issue strike us above all as disingenuous attempts to bring a successful person down a notch ― a practice we observed all too often perpetrated on our own father.”

As well as serving as director, producer and actor in Maestro, Bradley also penned the screenplay, having previously co-written his last directorial effort, the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born.

He is joined in the film by Carey Mulligan, who portrays the actor and activist Felicia Montealegre.

Maestro will receive a limited cinema release in November, before it begins streaming on Netflix on 20 December. Watch the trailer below:

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Leonard Bernstein’s Family Respond After Backlash To Bradley Cooper Wearing Prosthetic Nose To Play Jewish Composer

Posted on 17/08/2023 by Boris Clair

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Leonard Bernstein’s family has issued a statement responding to the backlash surrounding Bradley Cooper wearing a prosthetic nose to play the Jewish composer in forthcoming biopic Maestro.

The trailer for the Netflix film, which debuted on Tuesday evening, sparked controversy, with many fans criticising the move for supporting antisemitic stereotypes, while others suggested a Jewish actor should have been cast in the role instead.

Actor Tracy-Ann Oberman was among those who commented on social media, writing on Instagram: “If Bradley Cooper green lights your film to play the Jewish composer Bernstein and you want him over a Jewish A-lister who can equally play that role – then let Bradley Cooper’s acting be so magnificent and truthful that the character of Bernstein shines through what he already looks like.”

“If Bradley Cooper can’t do it through the power or acting alone then don’t cast him – get a Jewish actor,” she added.

Leonard Bernstein’s children, Jamie, Alexander, and Nina, have now responded to the backlash in a statement they shared on the Instagram account for their father’s estate.

They wrote: “Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father.

They continued: “At all times during the making of this film, we could feel the profound respect and yes, the love that Bradley brought to his portrait of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, our mother Felicia.

“We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we can’t wait for the world to see his creation.”

HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Netflix and Bradley Cooper for additional comment.

Maestro tells the complex love story between Leonard – who was the conductor and composer behind works such as West Side Story – and Felicia Cohn Montealegre, who is played by Carey Mulligan.

Throughout their romance, which spanned more than 30 years, they had two engagements, a 25-year marriage and three children, as Bernstein tried to come to terms with his sexuality.

Bradley has also written the screenplay, and is serving as a producer and director on the film.

Maestro is set to be released in select cinemas in November, before it begins streaming on Netflix in December.

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Bradley Cooper Supported By Anti-Defamation League Amid Debate Over Prosthetic Nose In Maestro

Leonard Bernstein’s Family Respond After Backlash To Bradley Cooper Wearing Prosthetic Nose To Play Jewish Composer