Bradley Cooper Sparks ‘Jewface’ Argument With Prosthetic Nose In Leonard Bernstein Biopic

Bradley Cooper is criticized for wearing a prosthetic nose in Maestro, a biopic about American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

The first trailer, which was released Tuesday, August 15, gives viewers their first look at Cooper as the famous Jewish musician.

Described as “a love letter to life and art”, Maestro— co-produced by Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg — depicts the decades-long relationship between Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan).

Cooper and Mulligan both wear prosthetics in the film, in order to play older versions of their characters. Yet it is Cooper’s fake nose that is causing controversy among moviegoers, with the 48-year-old accused of “fueling anti-Semitic stereotypes”.

“All actors should be able to play any role with their talent. However, we live in a time where there is great sensitivity and debate about ethnic and minority representation,” wrote British actress Tracy -Ann Oberman on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

“If Bradley Cooper greenlights your movie to play Jewish composer Bernstein and you want him rather than a Jewish A-Lister who can also play that role – then let Bradley Cooper’s acting be so magnificent and truthful that Bernstein’s character shines through what he already looks like.

“If he needs to wear a nose prosthesis, that is, to me and many others, the equivalent of Black-Face or Yellow-Face,” she added.

“Cillian [Murphy] could play Oppenheimer because he looks like Oppenheimer and could get the power of man’s history and Jewishness through the power of his game, same as Tom Conti because Einstein didn’t have to “wear” a nose .

She concluded, “If Bradley Cooper can’t do it through power or acting alone, don’t cast it – find a Jewish actor.”

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Author Ben M Freeman wrote, “Bradley Cooper shouldn’t be playing Leonard Bernstein. He shouldn’t wear a nasal prosthesis.

Other reviewers have pointed out that Cooper’s prosthetic nose appears to be larger than his real life counterpart.

“It’s not about making a non-Jewish actor look more like Leonard Bernstein; it’s about making a non-Jewish actor more like a Jewish stereotype,” Joel Swanson wrote on X, sharing a side-by-side comparison of Cooper and Bernstein’s character.

The Independent contacted Cooper for comment.

The revelation that Cooper would wear a fake nose to play Bernstein first emerged as a still last year.

write for The Independent, Noah Berlatsky criticized Cooper’s decision and said the use of prostheses “effectively transforms Jews into their physical characteristics. It makes caricatures of us.

“A biopic of a famously talented Jewish artist should not encourage these kinds of anti-Semitic stereotypes,” he said. “But Cooper seems, unfortunately, to have gotten stuck on these stereotypes himself. Asked to portray a complicated musician, composer and human being, Cooper couldn’t see past Bernstein’s nose. good for biopic quality. And it’s not great for jews either.

Actor and producer Jake Gyllenhaal, who has Jewish heritage, previously expressed disappointment after losing a bid for the rights to a Bernstein film to Cooper, admitting he aspired to play “the one of America’s most prominent Jewish artists” for nearly two decades.

“No one likes to admit it, but we were beaten at our own game,” he said. Deadline in 2021.

“That’s basically what happened. There’s really nothing more to say about it than that. There is always another project. Sticking your neck out, hoping you can tell the stories you love and have been in your heart for a very long time is something to be proud of.

He continued, “And this story, this idea of ​​playing one of America’s most prominent Jewish entertainers and his struggle with his identity was in my heart for about 20 years, but sometimes those things just don’t work out. In this business, if you’re lucky enough to hold on for a while, you easily forget that telling the story isn’t the most important thing.

“I mean, it’s our life. Gotta enjoy it. Bottom line, and maybe that’s my Achilles heel or maybe that’s my superpower, but I wish them the best.

Maestro will be in select UK cinemas on November 24, 2023 and on Netflix from December 20, 2023.