Bradley Cooper Says He's 'Not Sure' He'd 'Be Alive' If Not For Fatherhood

Bradley Cooper is opening up about how his 6-year-old daughter, Lea, changed his life. 

Honestly, Im not sure Id be alive if I wasnt a dad, the Maestro actor and director said on Mondays episode of Armchair Expert podcast. I dont know. 

I just needed someone to say, Were gonna drop this massive anchor, Cooper said, giving an example of what becoming a dad felt like to him. And Im like, Why? Were speeding. I just got an upgrade on the boat, and I know where the wind is coming in. And theyre like, No no no, theres a tsunami coming, and you need an anchor, and were gonna drop it. [Because] this is going to dictate everything you do from now on.

Your DNA is going to tell you that theres something more important than you, Cooper added.  

Cooper also got candid about another vulnerable parenting topic, as the A Star Is Born entertainer said it took time to warm up to his daughter after her birth. 

Everyone is always like, I would die in a second for my kid, Cooper said.

Im always like, If Im being honest, ehhh, I dont know. The first 8 months Im like, I dont even know if I really love the kid. Its dope, its cool, Im watching it morph, he said of his experience, later adding that all of a sudden, its like no question.

Cooper shares Lea with his ex-girlfriend, model Irina Shayk. 

Hes spoken about fatherhood before, telling Bear Grylls last year about how hes parenting Lea. 

You learn from your predecessors mistakes, and Ill make tons that hopefully Lea will learn from, and then being rigorous with myself to grow, he said. To help unburden her with any of my bullshit.