Bradley Cooper appeared in 2014’s biographical war drama movie American Sniper directed by ace filmmaker Clint Eastwood. The movie is loosely based on Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice’s written memoir; American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.
Upon its release, American Sniper received a positive response from critics and the audience and became the 13th most successful movie of the year. Bradley Cooper was highly praised for his portrayal of Chris Kyle while Eastwood’s direction also received acclaim. Even though the movie found itself amid controversy over the portrayal of the War in Iraq, what surprised the cast and crew was the threat that came from Kyle’s father for Eastwood. Let’s find out.
Chris Kyle’s father threatened Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper portrayed the character of Chris Kyle in Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper which follows Kyle’s life who became the deadliest marksman in the U.S. Military. Kyle held a record of 255 kills from four tours in the Iraq war and while his work life was celebrated, his personal life was adversely affected. Actress Sienna Miller starred as Kyle’s wife Taya in the movie.
The movie was a success but it was reported that Chris Kyle’s father Wayne Kyle had his reservations, at least initially. It was known that the father understood that the entertainment industry tends to twist, turn, and tweak stories according to the situation to fit their agendas. Therefore, during a post-production meeting, he reportedly expressed how he felt about the situation.
According to the Daily Mail,
“Wayne Kyle said he looked into the eyes of the veteran director and warned him, ‘Disrespect my son and I’ll unleash Hell on you.’
The publication noted that both the director and the actor assured Wayne that they were going to keep the integrity of his son intact. Wayne shared,
“They looked me in the eye and told me they would honor my son’s memoir. That was good enough for me. Both Mr. Eastwood and Mr. Cooper were men I could trust.”
Chris’ father added that both Eastwood and Cooper were very open and engaging about the project and did not want to hide anything.
Bradley Cooper calls playing Chris Kyle a ‘life-changing’ experience
No matter how Chris Kyle’s father threatened to unleash hell upon him if he tarnished the legacy of his son, Bradly Cooper called the experience life-changing.
In an interview with People magazine, Cooper said,
“I’ve always been interested on a personal level in helping our vets. I’ve been a part of USO on tours for over eight years. I had an appreciation for vetran before this, but what I definitely did not know is the toll that it takes on the family.”
He continued,
“People were willing to express themselves in a format that they would never normally do. But because they saw Chris’ story, they were willing to say ‘Thank you for putting a guy I can relate to up there and have it be something right way that I know is accurate’”.
Cooper lastly mentioned that he feels grateful that their movie which recounts Kyle’s struggles during deployments resonated with veterans.