Cooper, Rich Advocate for Liberal Arts
September 17, 2018 鈥� Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper (C鈥�97) and Warner Bros. executive Blair Rich (C鈥�97) visited Georgetown last Tuesday for a discussion with President John J. DeGioia and Q & A session with students. Both left it pretty clear how they felt about their time on the Hilltop.
鈥淭hese are the formative years,鈥� Cooper said.
鈥淚t really was a very enriching environment 鈥� there was so much to learn and do,鈥� Rich said. 鈥淕eorgetown felt like the connection to everywhere.鈥�
The event, which followed a screening of Cooper鈥檚 new film A Star Is Born, drew a capacity crowd to Gaston Hall, with students lining up in the hallways of Healy Hall hours in advance.
Cooper, who majored in English and minored in French, fondly recalled developing his acting chops in Professor Roger Benski鈥檚 French classroom.
鈥淗e was instrumental in incorporating the physical aspect to acting 鈥� using your whole body, not just your voice,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淚 learned a tremendous amount from him.鈥�
Rich, a government major and art history minor who went on to a career in marketing, emphasized the value of a liberal arts education.
鈥淚鈥檝e never once hired someone with a marketing degree or a film degree to do this,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can have passion and love for a lot of things, and learning makes you sort of ready for anything in the world. 鈥� It鈥檚 all about how you apply it.鈥�