Bradley Cooper didn’t need an elaborate disguise to go unnoticed on the streets of New York on Wednesday. In fact, all he needed to do was shave.

The “American Hustle” actor was hardly recognizable without his signature scruff:

Cooper went clean-shaven for his leading role in “The Elephant Man,” which opened on Broadway on Thursday. The 39-year-old, who stars as the title character in the play, recently told “The Today Show” that the story is what inspired him to become an actor.

“It was the reason why I wanted to become an actor, because of David Lynch’s movie,” he told “Today” host Matt Lauer. “And then I discovered it was a play, and I did it for my thesis in grad school.”

Notably, Cooper doesn’t wear makeup or prosthetics to reflect his character’s severe deformities. He described his technique of contorting his face to “Today” hosts:

“For me, it just starts with the breath and then it sort of just happens.”