“I Actually Cried Like Crazy”: Bradley Cooper Reveals Personal Inspiration For Major Rocket Scene In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

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Summary

Bradley Cooper reveals how he achieved Rocket Raccoon's most emotional moment in Vol. 3.
Cooper drew personal inspiration from losing his dad for the character's reaction to a friend's loss.
Everyone on set felt the deep truth in the sound that came out of Cooper's mouth, making the scene incredibly impactful.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Bradley Cooper reveals how he achieved Rocket Raccoon's most emotional moment in the movie. Cooper should continue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that Rocket has become the captain of the new version of the cosmic team after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's ending. Following his latest tragic MCU role, Cooper has shown that Rocket Raccoon is one of Marvel's most compelling characters.
On The Howard Stern Show, Cooper revealed his personal inspiration for Rocket's reaction to a huge loss in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Cooper explained that the pained scream Rocket lets out when the High Evolutionary kills Lylla was the sound of the actor's own voice when his dad passed away. Cooper revealed that he "actually cried like crazy." The actor comments that because the moment is tied to his personal experience, it is so much more powerful in the movie. Cooper's emotional performance was praised by many as the best of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's cast. Check out the full quote below:

"This last one, I'm not sure if you've watched it, but I actually cried like crazy. There's a scene where he loses his friend and the sound Rocket makes is something I could only relate to, is the sound my own voice when my dad passed away. When we did it on the sound stage, I think everybody knew there was some deep truth to the sound that came out of my mouth and I think that's why that moment in the movie is really like, 'Holy shit.'"

Related Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 25 MCU Easter Eggs & References Explained Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 includes plenty of Easter eggs, MCU references, comic connections, cameos, and more. Here is a full breakdown of them.
Why Rocket Raccoon Was The Perfect Main Character For Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 James Gunn's Last MCU Movie For The Time Being Needed Rocket As Its Lead

While Chris Pratt's Star-Lord was the team's captain and the character that was confirmed to return in the MCU by the time the film was over, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's true star was undoubtedly Cooper's Rocket Raccoon. Before the movie, Rocket's past was shrouded by darkness, and the reveal of how the character became who he is after experiencing years of pain at the hands of the High Evolutionary was a major moment. The movie also brought Rocket and the Guardians full circle in many ways.
Given that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was director James Gunn's final MCU movie for the foreseeable future — he now helms the upcoming DC Universe — Rocket's backstory needed to come to light in the film. Guardians of the Galaxy had already teased the character's connection to Lylla as an Easter egg, but actually seeing what happened between them and her death revealed a new side of Rocket. Cooper's character also came to terms with his origin as a raccoon in a poignant moment that showed just how much Rocket resonated with fans.
Besides, Gunn has said in multiple interviews that he views Rocket as similar to himself, so the character playing the main role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's plot as Gunn leaves the MCU made sense. While most of the Guardians were snapped away by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Rocket remained behind. The character's interactions with other MCU heroes like Thor in the last couple of Avengers films managed to make him even more popular. Based on all those factors, it is easy to see why Rocket is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's main character and why he is the new leader of the team.
Source: The Howard Stern Show
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