‘My Dad Died in My Arms’: Bradley Cooper Shares Personal Revelation at Caregiving Event

The stereotype of a caregiver is often limited to an older spouse or a middle-aged daughter, but in reality, family caregivers span every age, gender, ethnicity and profession. One powerful example is actor and filmmaker Bradley Cooper, who became a family caregiver to his father, Charles, in his mid-30s. At the time, the actor was at the height of building his Hollywood career, yet he put some of it on hold to be by his father’s side during a five-year illness with lung cancer.

Cooper’s story underscores a vital truth: Caregiving doesn’t follow a script. Sometimes it’s a young professional, working couples, retired spouses or even celebrities. Cooper, now 50, spoke about how profoundly his caregiving experience changed him during a special screening of the new PBS documentary, Caregiving, at the United Nations in New York City on June 12.

“I moved into my childhood home for the last eight months of my father’s life, and I had to process my feelings, but when I was in the act of caregiving, it was very fulfilling.” Cooper, the documentary’s executive producer, described the experience as deeply personal and transformative, culminating in an unforgettable moment on Jan. 15, 2011, when his father passed away in his arms.

Bradley Cooper's experience with his father, helped inspire the documentary, ‘Caregiving.’

Corey Sipkin for Craig Warga Photography

Cooper’s experience, along with those of six other caregivers, comes to life in the two-hour documentary that is streaming now on PBS.org and will have its broadcast premiere on PBS on June 24, with upcoming screenings in Los Angeles and Boston.​

Film panel highlights caregivers’ courage and strength

A panel discussion was led by ABC news correspondent Deborah Roberts, who was a caregiver to her mom with dementia. The panel included Cooper, the film’s director Chris Durrance, Matthew Cauli, a spousal caregiver featured in the film and Ai-jen Poo, executive director of Caring Across Generations, a national advocacy group for families and care workers.