Bradley Cooper on living with his mom: 'There's no other choice'

1/14

Born in 1975, Cooper began acting on stage and in TV roles on shows such as “Sex in the City” and “The $treet.” He would mostly play supporting roles until the late 2000s, when a succession of hits and acclaimed performances transformed him into a major star. (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)

2/14

Cooper starred alongside Paul Rudd, left, and Julia Roberts in the Broadway production of “Three Days of Rain,” photographed on April 17, 2006. (Paul Hawthorne / Getty Images)

3/14

Cooper and actress Jennifer Esposito, seen at the “Babel” premiere on Nov. 5, 2006, were married from late 2006 until May 2007, when Esposito filed for divorce. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

4/14

Cooper, left, and Danny Masterson, right, supported Jim Carrey in the 2008 comedy “Yes Man.” (Melissa Moseley / AP)

5/14

Cooper posed with Oscar in the press room at the 2010 Academy Awards. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

6/14

Cooper was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2011 and was honored at the GQ Men of the Year Awards on Sept. 6, 2011, in London, seen here. (Jonathan Short / Associated Press)

7/14

Cooper accepted the 2011 Scream Award for best thriller for “Limitless.” (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

8/14

Tina Fey and Cooper teamed up to present the award for sound editing to “Hugo’s” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty during the 2012 Oscars. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

9/14

Cooper, a lead actor nominee for “Silver Linings Playbook,” brought his mother, Gloria Cooper, right, to the 2013 Academy Awards. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images)

10/14

At the 2014 Oscars, Cooper was front-and-center for host Ellen DeGeneres’ star-studded selfie. Clockwise from left: Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong’o, Angelina Jolie, Peter Nyong’o Jr., Cooper, DeGeneres and Meryl Streep. (Ellen DeGeneres / Twitter via Getty Images)

11/14

Cooper also took part in the 2014 Marvel smash “Guardians of the Galaxy,” giving voice to the pint-sized character Rocket Raccoon. From left, Zoe Saldana, Rocket, Chris Pratt, Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and Dave Bautista. (Uncredited / AP)

12/14

In the fall of 2014, Cooper, center, appeared on Broadway in “The Elephant Man,” co-starring Anthony Heald, left, and Patricia Clarkson. (Rob Kim / Getty Images)

13/14

Cooper began dating British model Suki Waterhouse in March 2013. Here, the couple take in some tennis at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. (Carl Court / AFP / Getty Images)

14/14

Playing the late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle in Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper,” Cooper earned his second lead actor Academy Award nomination. The category’s other nominees include Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne. (Keith Bernstein / AP)

By Meredith Blake

May 21, 2013 11:39 AM PT

Bradley Cooper, star of “The Hangover 3,” may be Hollywood’s most well-adjusted mama’s boy.

As he has explained at length before, the 38-year-old Cooper moved in with his widowed mother after the death of his father a few years ago. And, in a move that made women across the country swoon, the actor even brought her as his date to this year’s Oscars ceremony, where he was nominated for “Silver Linings Playbook.”

On “The Tonight Show” on Monday, Cooper opened up about their unusually close relationship, telling host Jay Leno that while she still does his laundry once in a while, she doesn’t get in the way of his romantic life.

PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times

“You’re a single guy. Does that cramp your style?” Leno asked, joking that Cooper’s home was like the Bates Motel.

“Don’t go to the top floor! Just don’t go to the top floor!” Cooper replied, playing along with the “Psycho” theme (but getting his Hitchcock a little wrong: Norman kept his mother in the basement. Even the Sexiest Man Alive 2011 should know that!).

Leno pressed on. “Is it weird? Do girls think that’s weird that you still live with your mom?”

The obvious answer to this question is, “Duh, quite the opposite,” but the star patiently explained his rationale for living with dear old mom.

“Where I’m from it’s like there’s no choice. I don’t think it’s weird,” he said. “You know my dad died, and I come from an Italian neighborhood, and I couldn’t do it any other way. I wouldn’t even think of it.”

Elsewhere in the appearance, Cooper vented about Internet haters and the absurdity of posing for sexy photos in glossy magazines and even got some impromptu yodeling lessons from Heidi Klum.

Just another day at the office, right?

ALSO:

Carol Burnett to receive Mark Train Prize for American Humor

‘Arrested Development’s’ frozen banana stand hits L.A. area

Bradley Cooper explains why he lives with his mom

twitter.com/MeredithBlake