In the 2018 remake of A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper plays a musician with tinnitus who meets and falls and love with a young singer played by Lady Gaga. Cooper, whose real-life hearing issues have included cholesteatoma–a noncancerous skin growth in the middle ear—and, later, a punctured eardrum, cast his own ear doctor in his directing debut. In an article published in The Cut, Dr William Slattery III of House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles, discusses how his first role in a major movie came to be.
Dr William Slattery III, House Clinic
The first-time actor said Cooper consulted with him on the script, then suggested that Slattery play the part of a doctor testing his hearing in the movie. Slattery told The Cut his experience shooting the scene was “fascinating” and “a very different world to be in,” as compared to his hearing care practice.
“And of course, from my perspective—you can see the subplot with the hearing loss and the ringing plays a role in the main character’s issues. They actually highlight the hearing loss; they show a person wearing hearing aids very prominently. So, that’s a nice way to emphasize the fact that hearing loss as it affects people. You know, it affects people’s lives and their ability to communicate,” Slattery is quoted as saying in the article.
To read the full article in The Cut, please click here.
Source: The Cut
Image: © Anita Zvonar – Dreamstime.com, House Clinic website
