Bradley Cooper Adopts Christopher Nolan's "No-Chair" Rule On Set

In a recent conversation with Spike Lee for Variety's "Directors on Directors" series, Bradley Cooper dropped an interesting tidbit about his filmmaking process. And guess what it is? 

Well, there are no chairs allowed on his movie sets. The revelation draws parallels with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who has also been known for his no-chair policy on set.

Cooper explained his stance, stating, "There are no chairs on sets. I've always hated chairs, and I feel like your energy dips the minute you sit down in the chair."

Instead of traditional seating, Cooper prefers the use of apple boxes, emphasizing that they provide a communal and engaged atmosphere. He added, "So an apple box is a very nice way to sit, and everybody's together. There's no video village, I hate that."

Typically, a video village is where the crew and cast gather to view what is being shot and watch scenes back after filming. Cooper expressed his disdain for this setup and revealed, "When I direct, I don't watch playback."

Cooper both directs and leads the cast of "Maestro," a biopic about American composer Leonard Bernstein. The film, a biopic about American composer Leonard Bernstein, features a star-studded ensemble including Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman. 

"Maestro" is set to release on Netflix on December 20.

Christopher Nolan, known for his unique filmmaking techniques, has also implemented a no-chair policy on his sets. This practice came to light when Robert Downey Jr. discussed it during a conversation with Mark Ruffalo for Variety's "Actors on Actors" series. Downey Jr. mentioned the absence of set chairs during "crazy" screen tests for Nolan's upcoming film, "Oppenheimer."

Nolan's reasoning, as explained by actress Anne Hathaway in 2020, is that chairs create a distraction and hinder productivity.