Bradley Cooper had a special woman on his arm Tuesday night as he walked the red carpet at the Washington, D.C., premiere of "American Sniper."

People magazine reports Cooper, 40, who stars in the film as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, escorted Kyle's widow Taya Kyle down the red carpet and into the film screening at the Navy Memorial. 

"We just tried to get Chris's story right," Cooper said. "These people represent one percent of the population. There's 99 percent of the population that has no idea what it's like to be a soldier, to give up your life for your country. And we need to take care of our vets." 

The premiere drew a large crowd who gave a standing ovation. This included U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, 

Cooper added that he hopes the film will help veterans who have experienced the same effects of war not to feel alone.  

Taya was impressed by the actor's portrayal of her husband.

"You'll see in this movie, Bradley is Chris," she told People. "I have no idea, literally no idea, how he pulled that off. People who know Chris well and have seen the movie have said one word over and over: 'eerie.' It's almost eerie how much it really is Chris. And I'll never be able to thank Bradley enough for that." 

She added that Cooper captured the charismatic, soft, tough, strong and big-hearted man that her husband was.

"And he brought that to the screen in a way that that ... you will know Chris at the end of this movie," Tara said.

"American Sniper" tells the story of Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American history, whose life was upended by the brutality of war. Kyle completed four tours in Iraq as a SEAL before he was shot dead at a Texas gun range in February 2013 by Eddie Ray Routh, a veteran suffering from PTSD who Kyle was trying to help. 

Director Clint Eastwood, 84, has received rave reviews for "American Sniper" which is being released to 3,555 venues this weekend where it is expected to earn between $44 million to $48 million, reports Variety.