SJM: With Serena, does it seem surreal to be working on your third film with Jennifer Lawrence?
COOPER: Jennifer is such a wonderful girl. We’ve had so much fun working together and I’m so proud of her success. She’s one of the most down-to-earth and unpretentious individuals you could ever meet, and it’s such a pleasure to spend time with her. Jennifer is incredibly talented and she’s one of those natural performers who are instinctively good at what they do.

SJM: How did Serena come about?
COOPER: Serena was a fluke, really. Jennifer was attached to it when we were doing Silver Linings. And then I looked at it, and I knew Susanne (Bier), and it was, “Why don’t we just do this together?”

SJM: Have you and Jennifer developed a kind of acting shorthand together?
COOPER: (Laughs) It’s much easier when you have a natural rapport with another actor, and Jennifer and I both know each other so well that we don’t need to think too much about our scenes together. Bier is also an exceptional director and if you look at her films you can see how much sensitivity she brings to the characters in her films. I learned a lot from working with her and I think Jennifer also appreciated being able to be part of this kind of a story.