Bradley Cooper has found his niche in Hollywood, and it is comedy. The blue-eyed star teamed his striking looks with his penchant for light humour and rode to success with films like The Wedding Crashers, The Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle.

A Philadelphia native, Cooper spent a large part of his childhood being teased for his looks. Describing himself as a pretty kid, he once said: "I never lived the life of 'Oh, you're so good-looking'. People thought I was a girl when I was little, because I looked like a girl — maybe because my mother would keep my hair really long."

bradley cooper
Bradley Cooper at the 2015 GQ men of the year party REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian

It was only in 2001 that the All About Steve actor got his break in films with the Wet Hot American Summer (2001). Since then he had gone on to work in television, guest starring in Sex And The City, and had a steady role in Alias.

But it was not until The Hangover that Bradley tasted major success. Since then the People magazine's sexiest man alive of 2011 has acted in a mix of dramas and romantic-comedies including the Silver Linings Playbook, which earned eight Oscar nominations in 2012. He also starred in The A Team, Limitless, Burnt and American Sniper. He returns as Racoon Rocket in The Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol 2, which releases in the UK on 28 April.

Copper celebrates his 42<sup>nd birthday on 5 January, a day before his girlfriend and swimsuit model Irina Shayk turns 31 on 6 January. Shayk is pregnant with the couple's first child together.

Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk in a rare public appearance during the Wimbledon finals in July Getty

On the occasion of his birthday, IBTimes lists some of the actor's most interesting quotes on life, movies and relationships.

I think if you live in a black-and-white world, you're gonna suffer a lot. I used to be like that. But I don't believe that anymore.

Being in 'Us Weekly' does not make you famous.

In a relationship you want to treat people the way you want to be treated.

Give me an authentic woman, and I'm happy.

For a comedy to work, magic has to happen.