Hollywood star Bradley Cooper has some brushing up to do on British TV! (Picture: Dia Dipasupil/WireImage)
Bradley Cooper has found out exactly how you shock a room full of British people into silence – and that is by revealing you do not have a working knowledge of Doctor Who.
The Maestro Oscar hopeful, who co-wrote, directed and stars in the film, which is now streaming on Netflix, was busy doing some promo for it with co-star Carey Mulligan, who plays Felicia Montealegre, wife of Leonard Bernstein, opposite him.
Now, as many a Doctor Who fan and casual watcher alike may remember, Carey appeared as Sally Sparrow opposite David Tennant’s version of the Time Lord in iconic episode Blink, a.k.a. the one with the terrifying Weeping Angel statues, back in 2007.
Recalling that job, the 38-year-old Promising Young Woman actress, who is also in outrageous new film Saltburn, said in a new interview: ‘I did Doctor Who many moons ago, and I had to throw myself around the Tardis.’
However, Bradley, 48, interrupted to ask: ‘What’s a Tardis?’
After a moment of shocked, silent gasps, both Carey and interviewer Will Manning for Capital FM yelled in unison (and disbelief): ‘What’s a Tardis??’
He’s currently promoting new film Maestro with co-star Carey Mulligan, but was not up to date with Doctor Who (which Carey has appeared on) (Picture: Getty)
She plays Felicia Montealegre opposite director and co-writer Bradley as composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein in the biopic (Picture: Jason McDonald/Netflix)
‘Wow! You just offended – look at everybody in the room right now,’ added the radio presenter.
Actor and director Bradley then tried to smooth over the situation, by claiming: ‘Clearly I’m joking, I know exactly what a Tardis is…’
‘How do you spell that?’ he then asked as he typed it into Google on his phone.
‘The monster with the thing comes up?’ he then asked, before Carey took mercy on him and explained.
‘It’s like when he gets into the phone box, have you seen that bit?’ she checked, to which Bradley agreed he vaguely remembered it from being on when he was a kid ‘with the guy with the big hair’ (hi Tom Baker!).
‘So he gets in and it spins, but when he’s in the phone box it’s actually a massive spaceship,’ his co-star patiently explained.
However, fans were reeling in the comments over the US star’s lack of Doctor Who know-how.
‘Don’t blaspheme like that in front of Sally Sparrow,’ chastised Chloe K McKay in the comments below the clip on TikTok.
Carey Mulligan played Sally Sparrow in Doctor Who episode Blink, often cited as one of the best-ever episodes (Picture: BBC)
‘Ah man… as an American, granted a relatively nerdy American, I am sorry, Britain. I promise we watch your stuff! Please keep making it!’ pleaded Dylan.
Bryan agreed, adding: ‘That was a fantastic episode… sigh sorry on behalf of America.’
‘You could actually hear all the monocles pop out,‘ joked user @meatballnonner of the reaction in the room.
However, not everyone was that surprised, with Adit asking: ‘Is Doctor Who really that pervasive in Britain?’
New Doctor Ncuti Gatwa’s adventure begins during the Christmas Day special of Doctor Who (Picture: James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC Studios 2023)
He was swiftly corrected though as it was explained to him that the show is ‘similar to Star Trek or Law and Order’ in the US.
‘Basically, everyone has seen a least a few episodes,’ TikTok user E responded.
Doctor Who has recently been celebrating its 60th anniversary with a series of specials which brought back David Tennant’s version of the character, before he ‘bigenerated’ into Ncuti Gatwa’s new fifteenth Doctor.
Maestro is streaming on Netflix now. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Er, pardon us?