Bradley Cooper's Dating Advice Helped One Of Hollywood's Favorite Couples Stand The Test Of Time

Bradley Cooper's acting career includes a variety of diverse roles in films such as, "A Star is Born," "The Maestro," and the voice of Rocket in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. But while he is best known for being a leading man, it's Cooper's unofficial other career as a relationship advisor that positively impacted one of his fellow actors.

That actor is Dax Shepard, who met Cooper through "Twisted Metal's" Will Arnett in 2006. Shepard opened up about dating while being interviewed by The New Yorker's Tyler Foggatt in October 2024, and was asked what he would say to men in regards to being vulnerable with women. Shepard described it as a leap of faith, and recalled the story of a relationship he had with a woman with more status and wealth than him at the time (via People).

Following a fight with her about those status differences, Shepard reached out to Cooper for advice. "The Hangover" star came through for his friend, saying "Wow, if she had said that to me, I'd feel really less than and I'd be insecure about this." Cooper then encouraged Shepard to make his feelings known, saying "Look, you're clearly breaking up with this gal. Why don't you practice on her? Like, go tell her, when you said this, I felt this way."

Dax Shepard took his friend's advice, and the woman was more than surprised that he would let his guard down in that way. While the two didn't immediately break up, the relationship did eventually end. Shortly after the two parted ways, Shepard began a relationship and surprisingly normal life with Kristen Bell, whom he married in 2013. Shepard said during his exchange with Tyler Foggatt that his and Bell's life together benefited from Cooper's advice on being vulnerable from the start.

Proof of that became evident when Bell revealed the secret to maintaining her successful marriage to her husband. Bell told "Entertainment Tonight" in 2023 that she had come to recognize emotional triggers for Shepard that existed long before the two were a couple. That realization only came after Shepard was honest about how he was feeling before an argument would happen, a move that signaled he was being open when it mattered. A move that he learned from Bradley Cooper.     

The celebrity couple has since welcomed two kids and worked together numerous times. Bell has appeared on Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, which Variety reported had entered into a new deal with Wondery in June of 2024. The two also co-hosted the game show "Family Game Fight!" which aired on NBC in 2021.