First of all, if you haven't seen A Star Is Born [1], please take a few minutes to get a ticket. Done? OK great! If you have treated yourself to this masterpiece, you know that the main stars, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper [2], knock their performances out of the park. But there's a breakout star stealing everyone's hearts: Charlie the dog. And guess what? He's Cooper's own dog!
In the movie, married couple Jackson (Cooper) and Ally (Gaga) adopt a dog, and the little fluffball is too cute to handle. "There was no nepotism — I wanted this relationship with the dog [3]," Cooper told People. "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." He also joked, "He has an agent. I don't talk to him much anymore." Charlie has a special place in Cooper's heart because he's named after Cooper's late father [4].
PETA voiced its appreciation [5] for Cooper's choice and even awarded the actor an inaugural Compassion in Film award. "Bradley Cooper [6]'s happy, adorable, and much-loved dog steals the spotlight — and viewers' hearts — in this film because its clear that he loved being with his real-life 'dad,'" PETA said in a statement.
A star is born indeed. Somebody get Charlie an Oscar!
