THE NEW MOVIE "The Words" was directed and written by a trio of childhood friends. One of the friends is named Bradley Cooper. Maybe you've heard of him. He's from Rydal. He was in a pair of little movies called "The Hangover" and "The Hangover Part II." Also starred in a flick called "The A Team." Last year, an obscure publication that calls itself People magazine dubbed him the "Sexiest Man Alive." Ring a bell?
Anything?
"The Words' " writer-directors, Lee Sternthal and Brian Klugman, grew up in Dresher and Lower Moreland, respectively. They also wrote "Tron." Their "Sexiest Man" designations are yet to come.
Although the threesome no longer live full time in the 215 area code, they relish their cred as Philly dudes. So, when they were in town promoting their new film, we just let them take a break from all the cinema chatter so they could hang out, relive some memories, bust some chops and reveal something we've been wondering for a while now: Just how Philly is Hollywood's hottest heartthrob?
DN: So you've known each other since . . . how long?
Cooper: Since we were 11.
Sternthal: These guys were in school together. [Cooper and Klugman went to Germantown Academy. Sternthal went to Upper Dublin.]
DN: Same class?
Klugman: '93, yeah.
BC: We met when I transferred to his [Klugman's] uh, rich school (laughs), when I was in fifth grade. He and all his rich friends.
BK: Yeah, I took the train home from school with this guy every day. . . . When Bradley wasn't driving the Jag to school.
BC: I was taking SEPTA.
BK: Yeah, fancypants. I was on SEPTA with you. The R5 first, then the R3 West Trenton local.
BC: [Imitating conductor] Glenside, next, Glenside. Jenkintown! . . . I didn't have a car until my grandfather passed away. I got his Buick Regal.
BK: It had the cop plates.
BC: Cop plates . . . and a digital speedometer. . . . One time, I went through a stop sign, and [a police officer] passed by and said, "What's up with [those plates]?" And I said, "My grandfather: Angelo Campano, 35 years. Beat cop in Philly."
BK: And you were gold.
BC: [The cop] says, "All right. Get outta here."
DN: So, when you're hanging out, do you stay at home, or . . . ?
BC: Are you trying to ask, were you popular?
DN: No, I meant . . .
BC: Because the answer is no. We hung out together and watched movies. With [former classmate and later Toronto Raptor] Alvin Williams.
LS: Did you go to the prom with those guys?
BK: Alvin was in our limo. [Cooper], me, Alvin.
BC: We were?
BK: Yeah. I got pictures.
DN: Was the prom fun?
BC: No. Not for me. I did not have a good time. I had a good time at [Klugman's] bar mitzvah, though.
BK: There you go.
BC: It was amazing. He had the Mummers.
BK: No I didn't.
BC: You had, like, an elephant. You went all out.
BK: I didn't have the Mummers. I didn't have an elephant. I had a band.
BC: Do the Mummers still play?
BK: Oh, yeah, man, the string bands.
BC: I remember going down to the Mummers Parade as a kid, watching my father trying to make sure we didn't get into fights. It was brutal back in the '80s.
DN: Did you go down the Shore in the summers? Or, do you?
BC: These guys own Margate.
LS: Longport. Longport.
BC: [Points to self] Brigantine. We keep it real in Brigantine.
BK: Mr. Oneupmanship here.
BC: My grandfather was a cop. We'd go crabbing. You know what crabbing is? You put the string down and catch the crabmeat. We don't have lobster, whatever you have in Margate, thermador.
BK: We don't eat lobster!
LS: My grandfather was a mailman!
BK: It's not kosher!
BC: You're so particular. . . . My dad worked his heart out, all year, so we could go to college, so we could move to the suburbs, so maybe he could have a car, so he could feel good about himself, and you gotta put that down.
DN: Anyway. When you're home, visiting, what do you do?
BC: The first thing I always do, I go right to where we went to high school. Either jog there or ride around there, every time. I did it yesterday. After this [interview], I'll do it today.
BK: I love to drive around it, too.
BC: There was nobody there yesterday.
DN: Why do you go back? Sentimental?
BC: I don't know. I just really enjoy doing it. It's a great ride. I go on my motorcycle.
DN: What else do you guys do for fun?
BK: I love to go to Benny the Bum's.
DN: Any favorite Philly athletes?
LS: Schmidt.
BC: Shake 'n' Bake McBride. . . . The Bull, Greg Luzinski. Gary Matthews.
BK: That whole '93 Phillies team.
BC: Rollie Fingers. Larry Bowa. Tug McGraw.
BK: Tugger. Randall Cunningham. . . . Harold Carmichael.
BC: And then we had Maurice Cheeks.
BK: Mike Quick was, for me, about as good as they got.
BC: Andrew Toney.
BK: Andrew Toney was pretty cool.
LS: But Schmidt was pretty cool.
BC: Then we get into later, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra.
BK: We're diehard all Philadelphia sports around here.
BC: I was so diehard back in those two generations. . . . I love that Mitch Williams is commentating now. You'd think Philadelphia would still want to kill him.
BK: But they love him.
LS: Is he still kicking his mullet?
BC: He's great. It's nice for Philadelphia to embrace him and not be such crazy maniacs.
BK: He couldn't show his face for a while around here. . . . '93. Painful, painful memories. Anyway, it's an emotional film, and it's . . .
BC: I think we've covered a lot.