How did Bradley Cooper become the first Gemstone?

The fourth and final season of The Righteous Gemstones is now streaming on Showmax, with new episodes every Monday.

This hit HBO comedy dives into the chaotic world of a wealthy televangelist family, whose long history of greed, scandal, and questionable charity work fuels the show’s dark humor.

Series creator and star Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals) confirmed that this will be the last season.

“The Lord spoke to me and said it’s time to wrap this sucker up,” he jokes. “This season really brought the themes, ideas, and characters full circle. I’ve loved every second of working with this team for the past eight years, and there are some wild payoffs, twists, and turns in store.”

The returning cast includes Emmy nominee Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Edi Patterson (Knives Out), Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect), and Golden Globe winner John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Roseanne). This season also welcomes Emmy winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) and American Pie’s Seann William Scott.

However, the biggest surprise of the season was kept secret until the premiere: 12-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper makes a stunning guest appearance in an episode-long flashback. He plays Elijah Gemstone, the original patriarch of the Gemstone empire, whose journey takes place during the Civil War.

Danny McBride first envisioned this origin story during Season 3. “I was listening to an audiobook about the Civil War, and they mentioned chaplains. I thought, ‘I’ve never really considered that before.’”

Though The Righteous Gemstones is set in a religious world, it’s rated 18 D L N P S V—meaning the first Gemstone, like the modern-day family, was far from saintly

“You realize a lot of biblical figures were scoundrels,” Danny explains. “They were flawed, but that’s the message: anyone can find their way. So it felt right that the first Gemstone might have lied and cheated his way into power.”

Casting Elijah Gemstone was no easy task. “People kept asking, ‘Who could pull this off?’ We needed someone with undeniable charisma—someone who would get people excited just by showing up. I thought, ‘You know, someone like Bradley Cooper.’”

So Danny took a shot and sent Bradley the script—late at night. “I sent it at 11:30, and by 12:01, I had a text: ‘I want to do it. Call me back. This sounds amazing.’”

The casting paid off in a big way. “You see why Bradley Cooper is one of the biggest movie stars in the world—he just knows what he’s doing. He can say so much with so little.”

Following the Season 4 premiere, Emmy predictions for Bradley’s performance started circulating in top publications. But the biggest praise? It came from Danny’s mom. “She watched it and said, ‘I kind of just want the whole show to be about him now.’ And I was like, ‘Mom, you can’t say that—I’m in this f**king show!’”

With four Emmy nominations, an 8.1 IMDb score, and a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Righteous Gemstones is closing on a high note. As RogerEbert.com put it: “This show is funny, wry, clever, disgusting, moving, shocking, and endearing in ways that most TV comedies can only dream of. I’m sorry to say goodbye.”

Check out the trailer for Season 4 of The Righteous Gemstones below:

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