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Bradley Cooper draws criticism for being ‘ableist’ following his ‘no chairs’ policy on set
Bradley Cooper has drawn strong criticism for his ‘no chairs’ policy on set. Many have labelled the actor as an ‘ableist’ and much more. Read more below.
Bradley Cooper has become the target of some unwanted criticism after his recent interview on Variety's “Directors on Directors,” where he spoke with Spike Lee and discussed his preferred directing environment.
“There’s no chairs on sets; I’ve always hated chairs and I feel like your energy dips the minute you sit down in a chair,” shared the actor. “So apple boxes are a nice way to sit.”
He added that there is also “no video village” on his sets, which refers to the director’s monitors and the immediate area surrounding them. “I hate that,” said Bradley, explaining that he wants to “create a sacred space where things are really occurring in real time”.
“I actually think going back and watching it and hearing it, I think that’s a vulnerable thing for an actor to hear. No one likes the sound of their own voice anyway,” he shared, backing from his experience as an actor. “So I want to make actors feel safe to be fearless.”
However, what struck a bad chord among the people online, is his view. Many termed it as an “ableist”.
“The fact that he’s proud of this is sad,” one person tweeted on X (Formerly Twitter).
“Strikes me as anti-disability, no?” questioned another.
“As a wheelchair-bound actor, I feel like Bradley Cooper wouldn’t let me on set,” quipped someone.
“For Bradley Cooper and everyone else who needs to hear it, you get the best work out of folks when they feel safe, included, and their needs are met. If you have to create harsh conditions to get people to work, you are simply not good at leading. It’s a skill issue,” shared fourth.
“It’s a film set not an Amazon warehouse,” another noted. “Calm down Bradley.”
