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- Bradley Cooper brought Best Picture nominee American Sniper to Washington Tuesday evening for a special screening at the U.S. Navy Memorial for Congressional representatives, members of the armed services and Vice President Joe Biden.
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- Bradley Cooper stuck close to Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle’s widow, throughout Tuesday’s premiere, escorting her along the “red carpet” and into the screening, something Kyle would have done had he been able to.
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- Taya Kyle said she is proud of the film, but wishes her husband could have been there to see it: “There was a sadness because I felt like Chris should have been there with me that evening to see it. But on another level I felt like his presence was there and I felt very relieved and very much at peace. And I felt happy that I got to spend some time with Chris through the film. I feel like Bradley did that good of a job, and Sienna did a good job too, to the point that I felt it—that that was our life.”
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![“I feel so blessed that [Sienna Miller] could play me and bring not just my story, but all military wives’ story to the screen," Taya Kyle told reporters at the Washington premiere of American Sniper.](../../../../../wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_4611-150x150.jpg)
- “I feel so blessed that [Sienna Miller] could play me and bring not just my story, but all military wives’ story to the screen,” Taya Kyle told reporters at the Washington premiere of American Sniper.
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- “I wish I could be out there and shake you guys’ hands and say thank you, but I can’t. And I hope this move gets to you guys and that you like it,” Bradley Cooper told members of the U.S. military via a camera message.
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- Vice President Joe Biden greets guests as he heads into the U.S. Navy Memorial Theater for the American Sniper premiere Tuesday evening.
Bradley Cooper, Taya Kyle and Joe Biden attend the premiere of American Sniper, alongside reps from the USO and veterans’ organizations
Bradley Cooper brought Best Picture nominee American Sniper to Washington Tuesday evening for a special screening at the U.S. Navy Memorial for Congressional representatives, members of the armed services and Vice President Joe Biden.
Based on the autobiography of the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper provides new insight into the life of the “most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.” Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper portrays Chris Kyle, alongside British actress Sienna Miller as Kyle’s widow, Taya.
Cooper also served as the film’s producer, having taken a strong interest in bringing Kyle’s story to the screen from the get-go. He spoke several times at the Washington premiere about the respect he has for American military men and women, at one point delivering a camera message aimed at them directly: “You’re the reason why we’re able to do what we do back here. Thank you for your service and get back home safe.”
Cooper’s performance has received wide acclaim in recent weeks, earning him yet another Best Actor nod. Taya Kyle expressed her own amazement at the actor’s total transformation, saying that the film rang true to her late husband’s character and their life together. She also spoke of the difficulty of watching the film for the first time at Warner Bros. Studios a few months back: “There was a sadness because I felt like Chris should have been there with me that evening to see it. But on another level I felt like his presence was there and I felt very relieved and very much at peace. And I felt happy that I got to spend some time with Chris through the film. I feel like Bradley did that good of a job, and Sienna did a good job too, to the point that I felt it—that that was our life.”
Cooper stuck close to Taya throughout Tuesday’s premiere, escorting her along the “red carpet” and into the screening, something Kyle would have done had he been able to.
Kyle was tragically killed by a fellow veteran at a Texas shooting range on Feb. 2, 2013. The script for American Sniper had been finalized a mere two days earlier.
As a Navy SEAL, Kyle served four tours in Iraq, racking up a record-breaking 160 confirmed kills and an additional 255 claimed kills where death could not be confirmed. Kyle’s renowned status as a sharpshooter earned him the title of “Legend” among his peers, although insurgents took to calling him the “Devil of Ramadi” out of fear that they might soon find themselves at the end of his scope.
