Cooper, Rich Advocate for Liberal Arts

September 17, 2018 — Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper (C’97) and Warner Bros. executive Blair Rich (C’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.

“These are the formative years,” Cooper said.

“It really was a very enriching environment — there was so much to learn and do,” Rich said. “Georgetown felt like the connection to everywhere.”

The event, which followed a screening of Cooper’s 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’s French classroom.

“He was instrumental in incorporating the physical aspect to acting — using your whole body, not just your voice,” Cooper said. “I learned a tremendous amount from him.”

Rich, a government major and art history minor who went on to a career in marketing, emphasized the value of a liberal arts education.

“I’ve never once hired someone with a marketing degree or a film degree to do this,” she said. “You can have passion and love for a lot of things, and learning makes you sort of ready for anything in the world. … It’s all about how you apply it.”