Bradley Cooper in talks to play Lance Armstrong

Bradley Cooper has begun talks to play Lance Armstrong.

The Oscar nominated 'Silver Linings Playbook' star - who previously expressed his desire to portray the ''fascinating'' disgraced cyclist after he was stripped of his titles between 1999 and 2005 when it emerged he had taken performance-enhancing drugs - has formally approached J.J. Abrams' about starring in his upcoming biopic about Lance's rise and fall from grace.

J.J. confirmed that he is considering the 38-year-old star for the role after he reached out to him via email.

He told Entertainment Tonight at the Producer's Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday (26.01.13): ''[Cooper] sent me an email and we've been talking.''

News that the actor is now in line for the role, comes just days after Bradley admitted in an interview: ''I would be interested in [playing Armstrong]. I think he's fascinating. What a fascinating character. I remember Matt Damon was going to do his autobiography at one point years ago.

''I remember thinking, that would be a great character, I'd love to play that character. I would love to do something, I think he's pretty fascinating.''

'Star Trek' helmer J.J. and his Paramount Pictures partner Bryan Burk recently snapped up the screen rights for 'Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong', a new book by New York Times sportswriter Juliet Macur, who has covered the drugs cheat for over a decade.

Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey are allegedly hot contenders to play the infamous cyclist in the Bad Robot project.

Sony Pictures were previously lining up Jake Gyllenhaal to play Armstrong, but dropped their film proposal when the seven-time Tour de France winner's reputation was damaged.