Bradley Cooper admits he was 'TERRIFIED' to make his TV debut on Sex And The City… but the experience ended up being 'a lot of fun'

Bradley Cooper opened up about his acting debut in Sex And The City as he appeared at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this week.

The actor, 49, first appeared on screen as Jake in the episode They Shoot Single People, Don't They?, which aired during the second season of the hit HBO show in 1999.

Cooper – who was honored at the festival by one of his close friends – said he was surprised when he heard he had been given the coveted TV role.

“I auditioned for it, and at the time I didn't really realize that you could ever get the job,” Cooper said, according to PEOPLE. 'To be honest, I thought I had a job as a doorman at Morgans Hotel and then I was lucky enough to get an audition.'

The star of the Hangover franchise then revealed that he became nervous after his casting as he realized he would have to learn how to drive a sports car after lying about his driving skills during his audition.

The actor, 49, first appeared on screen as Jake in the episode They Shoot Single People, Don't They?, which aired during the second season of the hit HBO show in 1999.

'I remember being terrified when I got the call to do it. “What do you mean I actually have to do it?” “I couldn't shift gears, so they sent me to Models Driving School and I was just terrified,” he said.

Cooper admitted that a lookalike was eventually brought in to drive the vehicle while he worked on the episode.

“I still screwed up, so they let someone else drive the car and I just had to… pretend we stopped,” he said.

In the episode, the actor's character briefly bonded with Carrie Bradshaw, although she abruptly abandoned him after he found a magazine that featured her on the cover.

Cooper recalled that filming the episode was “a lot of fun,” and he also described the show's star, Sarah Jessica Parker, as “incredible.”

When he realized the episode's 25th anniversary was coming up, he joked, “S***, I've been there, dude.”

The performer also received the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the SBIFF for his work in the 2023 biographical drama film Maestro.

The actor was joined at the film festival by his co-star from the film, Carey Mulligan, and his good friend, Brad Pitt.

“I auditioned for it, and I didn't really realize at the time that you could ever get the job,” Cooper said, according to PEOPLE. “To be honest, I thought I had a job as a doorman at Morgans Hotel and then I was lucky enough to audition.”

The performer also received the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the SBIFF for his work in the 2023 biographical drama film Maestro.

The feature film received critical acclaim and Cooper has been nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay

Maestro focuses on the life of composer Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with his wife Felicia Montealegre.

The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and was subsequently released on Netflix last November.

The feature film received critical acclaim and Cooper has been nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

Maestro has also been nominated for the Best Picture award, and the cast and crew members have also been nominated for several awards.