Inside Bradley Cooper's Relationship With His Daughter Lea

Bradley Cooper's daughter, Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper, has been shielded from the very public life led by both of her parents since she was young, but her actor dad has been sharing more about the 6-year-old as of late. From Bradley's red carpet attendance with his daughter as his plus-one to leisurely father-and-daughter street strolls, it is clear that Bradley is not afraid to show off his little girl. "Having a family has changed everything. Our daughter, she's incredible," the "A Star is Born" actor shared with Oprah on her Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations (via People).

The actor, who shares Lea with his former on-again-off-again partner of four years, Victoria's Secret model Irina Shayk, has revealed just how special his daughter is and whom she reminds him of. "And I see my father in her quite often," Bradley explained to Oprah. "I can't believe I'm gonna admit this, but I had moments when ... I was in the room with her, I would say, 'Dad?'. There are some moments where she looks just like my father. I watch too many movies." The actor's father succumbed to lung cancer in 2011. And while Bradley does not hesitate to speak on or showcase his daughter any chance he gets, his connection to his angel baby wasn't exactly immediate.

Here's everything we know about Bradley's initial feelings towards his daughter.

The birth of a child can often be described as the beginning of a lifelong unbreakable bond between parents and their offspring. Starting from conception, parents are typically known to dote heavily on their children and get more attached, especially in the early stages of a child's life. That said, Bradley Cooper has said his daughter's birth didn't exactly rock his world. At least, not at first. During a recent podcast appearance, Bradley revealed his initial feelings for his daughter — and they aren't exactly what you might expect. "The first eight months, I don't even know if I really love the kid," he recalled on Dax Shephard's "Armchair Expert" podcast. "It's dope. It's cool. I'm watching this thing morph. That's my experience. Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun?"

While Bradley's revelation is far from conventional, the actor went on to clarify that his predisposition to his daughter has since changed from not understanding when others would say, "I would die in a second for my kid," to becoming exactly like those other parents saying, "And then all of a sudden, it's like no question." Thankfully for Lea, her dad's paternal instincts have since kicked in and she may have the genetics to thank for that. "Your DNA is going to tell you that there's something more important than you," Bradley told Shephard.

Speaking on the changes in his life since the arrival of his daughter, Bradley Cooper revealed in an interview that his daughter Lea's birth may have saved him from self-destructing. Bradley, previously candid about his battles with alcohol addiction and mental health challenges, has shared how his daughter's presence has had a transformative impact. Bradley dished further about the subject during his appearance on Dax Shephard's "Armchair Expert" podcast. "Honestly, I'm not sure I'd be alive if I wasn't a dad. I don't know what would have happened. I am not sure," he explained. "I just needed someone to say, like, 'We're gonna drop this massive anchor." And as it turned out, Lea's arrival was perfect timing.

Unlike his relationship with his own father — who Bradley says he didn't "spend a lot of time with" growing up — the actor explained that he's putting in the work to build a more stable relationship with Lea. "I've clocked that she's going to be 7 in March," Bradley said. "I think I've already logged more hours with my daughter than I did with my dad his entire life. So that alone is bonkers."

And while Lea has brought healing to Bradley in many ways, the father of one insists that he is careful to "do the least amount of damage he can do" to his daughter — but acknowledges doing a good job so far. "I can just feel the safety that she feels," he explained. It's so tangible; it's palpable. That is so fulfilling."