Bradley Cooper taking 'The Elephant Man' to London

John Merrick will returning to London. Bradley Cooper is taking The Elephant Man to the real Merrick’s hometown.

The Elephant Man is based on the life of Merrick, who was severely disfigured and became a fascination in Victorian London. His story has fascinated Cooper, who first played the role in Massachusetts in 2012. He then took it to Broadway with co-stars PAtricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola. The Broadway production closes next month at the Booth Theatre.

However, once the production is over, Cooper will take it overseas to London. The American Sniper confirmed the news in an interview with The Daily Mail.

“This isn’t about making money. It’s not a money gig,” he told the site. “I’m bringing him home, to London.”

The Elephant Man will be staged at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, starting on May 19 for three months.

For every actor, there always seems to be one story that truly inspires them and for Cooper, it’s The Elephant Man. He said that he first saw David Lynch’s touching film about John Merrick when he was 12 and was enthralled by John Hurt’s performance. He even went to London in his 20s to study the play and went to the hospital where the real Merrick lived during his last days.

“I’m intrigued, too, that a movie star — a breed that depends on looks — could be fascinated by a man so deformed,” Cooper told the Daily Mail. “There’s something about the physical manifestation of the movie star, who by nature has to be looked at, playing this part. I get that.”

Cooper has just earned his third Oscar nomination in three years for American Sniper. Last year, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor American Hustle and was up for Best Actor for Silver Linings Playbook the year before.

image courtesy of INFphoto.com