Hail to the Chef

Entertainment Weekly's Must List

June 24/July 1, 2005

No. 28: Bradley Cooper

Age 30

Mustworthiness After heating up Alias (we miss you, Will Tippin) and Jack & Bobby, Cooper is thrown into the fire -- quite literally -- as a cocky chef in Fox's promising new fall comedy Kitchen Confidential, based on chef Anthony Bourdain's memoir of the same name.

Missed Career Opportunity No. 1 Chef. "I used to have buddies come over after kindergarten and I'd cook them food. I prided myself in taking whatever was in the fridge and turning it into lasagna."

Missed Career Opportunity No. 2 Basketball player. "I had size 12 feet when I was 10, so I thought i was going to be 6'8". My goal was to be able to dunk a basket. I wound up being 6'1" with size 14 feet. I got the raw end of the deal."

On His Must List "Daniel Day-Lewis. He is the seminal actor to me."

He Knew He'd Made It When... "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Next Wedding Crashers with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn (July 15), season 1 of Kitchen on Fox, and Failure to Launch (2006) opposite Matthew McConaughey.