The true star of ‘A Star Is Born’ Is Bradley Cooper’s dog

The movie “A Star is Born” has already generated some Oscar buzz for the directing and acting of Bradley Cooper and the breakout performance by Lady Gaga. But forget about the people, let’s get one thing straight: The true star of this movie is Charlie, the dog.

Charlie plays the dog owned by Cooper and Gaga’s characters, Jack and Ally. I won’t spoil the movie for you, but Charlie is key to several emotional scenes and he carries himself very well.

Now for the twist: Charlie is actually Cooper’s real-life rescue dog. So, no, you were not imagining all of that on-screen chemistry.

Frankly, this has almost been too much for the internet to handle, with Twitter users like @grahamorama gushing giddily over the news:

Even People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) took notice and went so far as to create an honor called the Compassion in Film Award for Cooper and Charlie.

That’s right, Charlie is such a good boy, somebody made up an award for him.

“‘Bradley Cooper’s happy, adorable and much-loved dog steals the spotlight — and viewers’ hearts — in this film because it’s clear that he loved being with his real-life “dad,”” PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said, according to a press release. “‘PETA has witnessed so much abuse and neglect of dogs both on and off set that we’re hoping Cooper’s kind decision sets a precedent for all of Hollywood to follow.'”

Of course, some folks are already calling for Charlie to get some Academy Award buzz, like @slylingual24 who is prepared to make some drastic changes if this dog doesn’t get his due at the Oscars. (As a heads-up, the dog in this picture is not actually Charlie, but the dog that plays his younger self. A cute dog, but not Charlie.)

Let’s just hope all the fame and acclaim doesn’t go to Charlie’s furry head. According to Cooper, the ego trip might already be starting.

“I don’t talk to him much anymore,” Cooper told People. “He doesn’t return my calls. He always walks away from me unless I have food.”

Well, I guess that just sets up the inevitable sequel, which is already being pitched on Twitter — complete with punny title — by @brentblack:

[h/t Huffington Post]