Bradley Cooper dubs caregivers 'heroic' as he recalls last days with cancer-stricken dad: 'I was lucky'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bradley Cooper is sharing an emotional look back at his final days with his father, Charlie Cooper.

Cooper's dad died in 2011 at age 71 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Bradley Cooper reflects on personal caregiving journey in new documentary

The actor, now 50, reflects on his journey through grief and caregiving in the new PBS documentary 'Caregiving', which he also executive-produced.

“My dad was somebody I idolized,” Cooper said in the film, as per People.

“I used to dress up like him when I was a kid in kindergarten and get made fun of because I wanted to wear a little suit and tie," he said.

He shares that watching his father, who was a stockbroker, lose his strength and eventually need hospice care had a profound effect on him.

“Like most people, I didn’t even think about caregiving until my dad was diagnosed,” Cooper said in the documentary.

The film highlights the emotional and physical toll caregiving takes on families.

“To go from [dressing up like him] to giving him a bath is quite a traumatic thing ... he was at a point where he needed a lot of care,” he said. “I was lucky enough that I was able to be there for him, and I certainly also benefited from the help we got."

Bradley Cooper says caregivers are ‘heroic’, their dedication leaves him ‘in awe’

'Caregiving', now streaming on PBS, offers a look into the lives of families in need of care and the challenges they face.

The documentary also features a quote by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter: “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who currently are caregivers. Those who will be caregivers. And those who will need caregiving.”

Cooper praises the aides who supported his family during his father’s illness. “These are heroic people that are caregivers, period."

"Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something I stand in awe of,” he said in the film. He also appeared at a United Nations screening of the documentary on June 12, where he spoke about balancing grief with humor.

Bradley Cooper recalls last game with father as moment of deep anxiety

At the UN event, Bradley Cooper shared a personal anecdote about one of the last events he attended with his father — a Philadelphia Phillies game.

He remembered being in the dugout with his dad, but later panicking when he took too long in the bathroom.

“The one thing that I learned was the humor, the comedy throughout everything,” Cooper said of finding moments of lightness amid grief.

He went on to recall, “I never liked being late to anything, so they're getting late on the field. I was like, Is he going to die in the bathroom at the stadium?” he said, laughing.

“So that's what my brain just did, went into that memory of anxiety ... remembering him in the bathroom.” “But,” he added, “that's what you do to cope.”