Actor Bradley Cooper says he wanted to direct for a long time, but was terrified about it.

"I always wanted to direct but I guess I was terrified to do it and at the same time I knew that I can only do something for which I had my point of view about, and the story I wanted to tell right," Cooper said in a statement to IANS.

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"I always had it in my mind that 'I was in my 40s, so as long as I don't wait too long'. So I was about 40 years old that I had a mind that I got to do this. I wanted to tell a love story and this was the right moment," added the 43-year-old.

He is making his debut as a director with A Star is Born, based on the eponymous 1937 film, which was directed by William Wellmam. The story centres on a fading movie star who helps an aspiring actress while his own career spirals downward.

Warner Bros Pictures will release the film, which also features Lady Gaga, in India on October 12.