Abbott Elementary: Bradley Cooper Breaks Out Rocket Raccoon Voice in Special Post-Oscars Episode

The special post-Oscars episode of Abbott Elementary included a cameo appearance by Bradley Cooper. ABC brought out its big guns for The Oscars, looking to capitalize on the audience tuning into the 96th Academy Awards on the network by following it up with the smash hit comedy Abbott Elementary. Cooper, known for his voice-acting role as Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy, was nominated for some Oscars gold for Maestro, which he starred in, wrote, and directed. While Bradley Cooper and Maestro didn’t win, he did steal the hearts of Abbott Elementary students when he showed up in one of their classrooms after the Oscars.

Abbott Elementary‘s post-Oscars episode was titled “Willard R. Abbott,” and opened inside Melissa’s (Lisa Ann Walter) classroom for Show-And-Tell.  One of the students decided to bring a famous person he saw hanging around outside, who happened to be Bradley Cooper. He walked in wearing a ’64 Cassius Clay jacket and explained that whenever he’s in Philly, he goes to the deli across the street from the school. Melissa quickly texts the other faculty at Abbott so they can come get a glimpse at the Hollywood star too.

Bradley Cooper does Rocket Raccoon voice on Abbott Elementary

When one of the Abbott Elementary students asks if Bradley Cooper is in Spider-Man, he corrects her by revealing he’s in Guardians of the Galaxy. This is where he breaks out the classic Rocket Raccoon voice, telling Jacob (Chris Perfetti) in his Rocket voice, “Are you frickin’ kiddin’ me? I’m the voice of Rocket Raccoon!” Things take a humorous turn when the Abbott Elementary cast starts confusing the projects that Cooper is known for. For example, Melissa says the actor was the face of Alias, though that should be the show’s star, Jennifer Garner.

Janine (Quinta Brunson) calls out She’s Not That Into You as her favorite Bradley Cooper movie, though he sees that as more of an ensemble flick. Ava (Janelle James) tells Cooper that he doesn’t look famous, with a kid chiming in that his teeth should be whiter. Cooper lets us know that he can’t whiten his teeth because they’re too sensitive. One of the funnier callouts is by Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), who says one of her favorite movies of Cooper’s is the heartwarming The Holdovers, when she really meant the raunchy The Hangover.

Finally, Janine mentions Cooper is in a critically acclaimed film (Maestro), but Melissa thinks its Oppenheimer, which snagged seven Oscars including Best Picture.

What is Abbott Elementary about?

The synopsis for Abbott Elementary reads, “A workplace comedy following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal —as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.”