Lady Gaga praises Bradley Cooper in ‘A Star is Born’ directorial debut: ‘He made me a better actress’

 Bradley Cooper, left, and Lady Gaga in a scene from the latest reboot of the film, "A Star is Born." (AP)

BEVERLY HILLS – Lady Gaga didn’t hold back in voicing her admiration for Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut.

The "A Star is Born" actress took home a coveted Golden Globe award for Best Original Song for her performance of “Shallow” in the country music flick, and called Cooper’s vision of the film, “brilliant.”

“He was incredible as a director and he made me a better actress,” Gaga, 32, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, told reporters backstage Sunday at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. “What we’re really excited to be on this stage for is for how much he believed in this song.”

She continued: “We were talking about how the song is counter-culture in a lot of ways. It doesn’t really fit in as a commercial song and so people connected to it.”

While accepting the award, Gaga fought back tears while hugging her co-star and thanked the actor for providing her the opportunity to be seen as more than a musician.

“I just have to say, as a woman in music, it is really hard to be taken seriously as a musician and a songwriter. These three incredible men… they lifted me up and supported me,” Gaga said. “Bradley, I love you.”

Gaga’s nomination placed her alongside only Amy Adams for actresses who received double nominations.