"At the end of the day, he knows that he’s the best director in my eyes."
Lady Gaga "just started crying" when she heard about her two Oscar nominations on Tuesday, but was surprised to find out that her A Star Is Born director, Bradley Cooper, didn't score a nom for his oversight of the film.
"Well, you know, you never know what’s going to happen," she told The Los Angeles Times after the nominations were announced on Tuesday. "But at the end of the day, he knows that he’s the best director in my eyes, and in all of our eyes as his cast."
Though Cooper didn't nab a directorial nod, he was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Jack in A Star Is Born, and the film is also up for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
"I know that he’s so happy that we’ve all been nominated and that the film was recognized and we all feel really, really beyond elated for the recognition," Gaga noted of the film, which received eight nominations.
Gaga continued gushing about her co-star and director, telling the paper that, "through his filmmaking, [Cooper] showed the world some things that they don’t get to see [about] fame and stardom and all that comes with that. Those are not things people get to see every day. But then there's themes of addiction and alcoholism, which connect to people on a very deep level and resonate all over the world."
When ET's Lauren Zima caught up with Gaga in November, she offered even more praise for Cooper.
"He is such an incredible director and, you know, he made me a better actress," she said. "I just love him so much and he is such a dear friend of mine... It's exciting and wonderful and we are both so grateful for how the film is being received."
"You know, that's what's really come out of all of this for me: the reward of a lifetime friendship with someone I deeply respect," she added.
While performers for the ceremony have yet to be announced, Gaga -- who was nominated in the Best Actress and Best Original Song categories -- said it would be "a tremendous honor" to take the stage to perform "Shallow" at the show.
"It was so sweet, I was getting messages this morning from my ['Shallow'] co-writers, and they wrote something funny: 'Tell me something, boy, aren't you happy we made all that noise?'" Gaga told The L.A. Times, referencing the song's lyrics. "I think sometimes people forget that even though this is a big movie, we're all really artists that are like kids playing in a sandbox."
"To be recognized at this level just makes the heart explode, because truly and deeply, I still very much feel like a child with big dreams," she added.
The 91st Annual Academy Awards will air Feb. 24 on ABC, live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
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