Bradley Cooper Really, Really Loves Dogs In ‘A Star Is Born’

The increasingly vicious online battle between Venom and Lady Gaga stans notwithstanding, A Star Is Born looks like a truly wonderful film. After all, almost all of the reviews of the Bradley Cooper-directed drama are positive, and the music sounds wonderful. Also, Cooper and Gaga’s characters, Jackson Maine and Ally, get a dog together and he is a very cute and fluffy puppy. His real name is Charlie, and it turns out that he’s actually Cooper’s own dog.

While speaking with People at the A Star Is Born premiere red carpet, Cooper joked “there was no nepotism” about his hiring Charlie for the small role because he “wanted this relationship with the dog.” He then added, “[Jackson and Ally] don’t have a child together but they have a dog together, and I wanted it to be part of their story. I love dogs.”

The magazine notes that Cooper has spoken openly about his love for dogs before, including two rescues. To make matters even more interesting for Charlie’s inclusion in A Star Is Born, however, it turns out the pup’s name was borrowed from Cooper’s father, who passed away from lung cancer in 2011. “That meant a lot for him to be in the film,” the director added.