(Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Sat 23 August 2025 1:30, UK
With multiple Oscar nominations under his belt, a proven track record as both an actor and a director, plus a special place in the hearts of middle-aged women everywhere, it’s fair to say that Bradley Cooper has really cracked the Hollywood code.
The handsome star has established himself as a pillar of the movie business, regularly appearing in lists of the highest-grossing and highest-earning actors and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Gunning for the modern-day ‘King of Cameos’ title, the actor wasn’t always at the top of the mountain. It wasn’t until he starred in the first Hangover film that people finally woke up to his potential. This came after a decade of toiling away in less prominent movies and TV shows, which included the god awful Wet Hot American Summer, a guest role in Sex and the City, and a bizarre reality TV series that has been all but forgotten by most people.
As he explained to Aspire, Cooper’s attempts to hit the big time included a travel programme called Globe Trekker. This was long before anyone knew who he was, and, as the Maestro director reflected on this period of his career, he has been able to realise what a weird time it was.
“I don’t know how the hell that happened,” he said, “It was just some insane acid trip I was on for three years! I grew up in the suburbs of Philly and had never been in a tent my whole life, and then in the audition, I had to go to Central Park and pretend I was on an actual trek.”
He recalled the extent of his adventurous time following scoring the part, adding, “But I got the part and then they said: ‘OK, go to Canada and canoe down the Bonaventure River and cycle The Viking Trail in Newfoundland?’ Three years later, I was sailing around the coast of Croatia and climbing glaciers and trekking in Peru. It was insane.”
Also known as Pilot Guides in some territories, Globe Trekker was based on the Lonely Planet series of travel books. Cooper was one of a series of revolving hosts who would visit a different place on Earth in each episode and attempt to experience as much of its culture as possible. He hosted a handful of episodes in the early 2000s and is by far and away the most famous person to ever work for the show. The only other person with a stake to this claim is Padma Lakshmi, the former host of Top Chef. Everyone else is a complete nobody.
Cooper is far from the only famous face who tried reality TV before hitting it big. His A Star is Born co-star Lady Gaga was once on an MTV prank show called Boiling Points, appearing as a frustrated customer in a diner. Jon Hamm went on a dating show before he was famous (and didn’t get picked), and who could forget a young Aaron Paul failing to win on The Price is Right?
An actor’s life is never easy, full of crushing rejections, dead ends, and embarrassing jobs. Cooper may not feel too strongly about his time on Globe Trekker, but it served as a necessary step in his journey. Next time you laugh at some unfortunate soul on a reality show, you’d better think twice. They might just turn out to be someone famous waiting in the wings.
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