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Bradley Cooper has become one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars — but before he catapulted to superstardom, the actor was working in the trenches of a restaurant kitchen. Well, he was playing a fictional chef who worked in the back of a fictional restaurant on a short-lived Fox sitcom.
One of Cooper’s more forgotten television roles was as a character inspired by Anthony Bourdain — and almost identically named to the celebrity chef — in Fox’s 2005 sitcom “Kitchen Confidential.” The series was inspired by the chef’s memoir, “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” which reflected on Bourdain’s professional career in the restaurant industry.
Published in 2000, Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” became a New York Times bestseller, spotlighting the less glamorous and intense elements behind some kitchens at high-end restaurants. The book was adapted into the Fox sitcom in 2005, starring Bradley Cooper as Jack Bourdain, a character directly inspired by the author.
Kitchen Confidential was based on Anthony Bourdain’s book of the same name
In the “Kitchen Confidential” TV series, Jack Bourdain, similar to his real-life equivalent, is a former alcohol and drug addict working in the high-end culinary world. In the series, Jack serves as the executive chef of the restaurant Nolita, hoping for a career comeback. Along with Bradley Cooper, the series included Nicholas Brendon as pastry chef Seth, John Francis Daley as commis chef Jim, Jaime King as hostess Tanya, Bonnie Sommerville as head waitress Mimi, and Owain Yeoman as sous chef Steven. Notable recurring cast members included John Cho, Frank Langella, and Erinn Hayes.
Unfortunately, “Kitchen Confidential” only ran for one season, consisting of 13 episodes. Fox canceled the series shortly after the fourth episode aired, and the show is primarily available to watch on DVD, but is unavailable on any of the major streaming services.
Cooper’s short-lived stint on “Kitchen Confidential” isn’t his only TV credit. Though he’s now known as a movie star, the actor enjoyed a prominent career on television throughout the early to mid-2000s. Some of his notable TV credits include a guest role on “Sex and the City, and a series regular role on “Alias.”
His mainstream breakthrough came in 2009 with the blockbuster comedy, “The Hangover.” Since then, Cooper’s star has risen to the stratosphere, whether it is through acting or filmmaking, which has led to 12 Academy Award nominations, one Tony Award nomination, and perhaps most surprisingly, three Grammy Award wins. He most recently appeared as Jor-El in James Gunn’s “Superman.”