Bradley Cooper Returns to TV, Makes Surprise Guest Star Appearance on Abbott Elementary's Post-Oscars Episode

Bradley Cooper just made a surprise appearance on a brand new episode of Abbott Elementary!

The 49-year-old actor returned to television for the first time in eight years on the ABC comedy’s post-Oscars episode.

Airing right after the 2024 Oscars, Bradley actually played himself on Abbott!

Keep reading to find out more…

Here’s an episode synopsis: Abbott Elementary is deemed a Philadelphia historical landmark, much to Ava and Janine’s delight; however, Barbara and Melissa are not as impressed. The school plans a celebration in honor of its namesake, but not everything goes as planned.

During his appearance, Bradley, who is from the Philadelphia area, made fun of himself and his Oscars campaign.

“Whenever I’m in Philly, you know the deli across the street? That’s my first stop,” he said. “My dad used to always take me there. They have the best hoagies in the city.”

“Oh, I just loved you in The Holdovers. It was just so heartwarming,” Sheryl Lee Ralph‘s Barbara said.

“It’s The Hangover, and no it’s not,” replied Tyler James Williams‘ Gregory.

“Guys, he’s literally in a critically acclaimed film right now,” Quinta Brunson says as Janine, with Lisa Ann Walter‘s Melissa adding, “Mhm, Oppenheimer.”

“I wasn’t in Oppenheimer,” Bradley replied, to which Janelle James‘ Ava asks, “Are you sure? Everybody was in Oppenheimer.”

If you missed the episode, don’t worry, it will be available to stream on Hulu on Monday (March 10)!

This was the first time Bradley has appeared on screen on television since the TV show Limitless in 2016. He has also voiced is Guardians of the Galaxy character Rocket in a few episodes of the I Am Groot TV series on Disney+.

Earlier in the night, Bradley was in attendance at the 2024 Oscars, with his mom as his date, of course. He was nominated for three awards, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture, for starring in, co-writing and producing the movie Maestro. Unfortunately, he did not pick up a win this year.