What if a former title holder for "sexiest man alive" goes onstage and plays the role of a severely deformed figure?
That won't be too far off, since Oscar-nominated Bradley Cooper is taking the stage once again to reprise the role of John Merrick in Bernard Pomerance's revival of "The Elephant Man." The story is based on a real-life Englishman who, during the Victorian Era, went from being a sideshow freak to being the toast of High-Society London.
This will be the first time that Cooper is seen on Broadway since his stint with Julia Roberts and Paul Rudd in Richard Greenberg's drama, "Three Days of Rain", way back in 2006.
It won't be a total waste of the actor's good looks, though. According to CNN, the theater version, unlike the movie, will not use make-up or prosthetics to show the character's deformity, so delighted fans will still "see Cooper in all his golden-boy glory."
The 1980 movie version of "The Elephant Man" scored eight Oscar nominations, one of which was for John Hurt, who wore prosthetics based on casts from Merrick's body, according to The Daily Mail
Cooper played the same role in a Williamstown production in 2012 with Patricia Clarkson and Allesandro Nivola, but there has been no word yet whether Clarkson (who played the actress who befriended Merrick, Mrs. Kendall) or Nivola (who played Dr. Teves) will act alongside the A-lister in the Broadway adaptation. Production for "The Elephant Man" is expected to start in autumn.
Off theater, the 39-year-old actor is making a name for himself with two Oscar Nominations, last year for his role as Pat in "Silver Linings Playbook", and this year, as FBI agent Richie DiMaso on"American Hustle."
He will also be seen alongside Jennifer Lawrence in an upcoming drama, Serena, as well as for an upcoming Cameron Crowe project.
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