One of the hottest stars in Hollywood today, Bradley Cooper has come a long way since making his television debut with a guest spot on "Sex and the City." Cooper, who graduated with an MFA from the Actors Studio, then acted in a slew of roles for both television and film, including shows like "Alias" and the 2001 cult classic, "Wet Hot American Summer." But it was in 2009 that he landed his breakthrough role with the adult comedy, "The Hangover," which centers on a group of men who search for their lost friend after waking from a bachelor party that none can remember. The film not only raised his profile, but it eventually became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time, in addition to spawning two wildly successful sequels. From there, he continued to find more success in action and dramatic roles. For his work on screen and stage, the actor is the recipient of various accolades, including nine Academy Award nominations and six Golden Globe nominations. Labeled a sex symbol by the media, he was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2011, and was on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. The bottom line is that the box office loves him. His films have grossed $11 billion worldwide, and he is often placed among the world's highest-paid actors.

Before the Hollywood limelight, Cooper was a student trying to make his way through Georgetown University. In 1993, the future movie star enrolled at Villanova University, but after a year he transferred to Georgetown, where he majored in English. It was at Georgetown that he also began studying French, which led to him spending six months as an exchange student in Aix-en-Provence, France, where he honed his French language skills. Additionally, it was during his time at Georgetown that he started taking acting seriously. He became part of a campus theatre group, Nomadic Theatre, and even sang in the Gospel Choir. And yet, contrary to popular belief, he was never part of a fraternity in college. He was, however, a member of the Georgetown Hoyas rowing team. In 1997, he received a Bachelor of Arts in English, graduating from Georgetown with honors.

Cooper is no stranger to returning to his alma mater, and in 2010 the actor was back to speak with students. "The Hangover" star opened up the evening by briefly reminiscing on his three years at Georgetown, which he considered a utopia. “There were tons of Frisbees and golden retrievers,” he said. “All the women were from California.” After talking about his time at the university, the packed room opened up to questions that, for the most part, consisted of the women of Georgetown asking the heartthrob actor for hugs, photos, phone numbers, and even his water bottle. As for advice, Cooper was unequivocal. “Fall on your face, really – it’s the only way you’re going to learn,” he said. “God help you if you never fail, because you’ll never grow.”