Bradley Cooper was 'terrified' during his TV debut in 'Sex and the City' — just because of one major reason
Oscar-winner Bradley Cooper lied to land a part in the famed romantic comedy television series 'Sex and the City'. In season 2, Cooper briefly appeared as "Jake the Downtown Smoker," a sports car-driving playboy. After bagging his first TV role, the 'Maestro' actor revealed he was 'terrified' because he had never driven a car before. “I couldn't drive a stick shift, so they sent me to Models Driving School and I was just terrified.” He continued jokingly, “I remember when I got the call to do it I was terrified. ‘What do you mean I'm actually going to have to do it?"
“I still remember it: I was Jake the downtown smoker,” he added while addressing a Q&A at an event sponsored by DAOU Vineyards in 2024. "I auditioned for it, and at that time I didn't really realize that you could ever get the job,” he recalled. "Honestly, I thought that I had a job as a doorman at Morgans Hotel and then I was lucky enough to audition." Cooper was so petrified of his driving skills that he feared "hitting Sarah Jessica Parker's head against the dashboard." The production team had to hire a stand-in and the 'Nightmare Alley' actor only pretended to play his part during the shot. "They had somebody else drive the car and I just had to ... pretend that we stopped,” he said.
He referred to his character as a 'logistic nightmare' for the crew, “I thought it went well when I learned on a Volkswagen, but then I was driving a 1962 Porsche convertible where the clutch was as if I was driving a bus,” Cooper told Backstage Magazine in 2012. “And I had Sarah Jessica Parker in the passenger seat. They very quickly took me out and put me in a stand-in until we arrived.” Despite a few hiccups while playing his part, Cooper reminisced about feeling wonderful at the end. He continued by complimenting his co-star Parker on her ability to remain composed during the filming process.
The episode remains timeless even after celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024. 'Sex and the City' creator Michael Patrick King, recalled Cooper's audition and said, "Bradley, this is where you drive, you take off.’ And he goes, ‘I can’t drive a stick," he said while appearing on an episode of Max’s And Just Like That...The Writers Room podcast in 2023. King continued to explain that they had to change the plotline because Cooper couldn't drive the Karmann Ghia - a Volkswagen model. The maker had to write the scene in a way that Parker's character Carrie was showcased "crawling out of the Karmann Ghia and walking home.”
Cooper later made his big screen debut with the rom-com 'Wet Hot American Summer' in 2001. During the 2000s, he guest starred on several TV shows including 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' and 'Nip/Tuck'. He also essayed the recurring role of Will Tippin on 'Alias' and appeared as a lead in an Anthony Bourdain-inspired sitcom titled 'Kitchen Confidential' in 2005.
