The trailer for Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” has landed — to accusations of antisemitism.
Cooper portrays legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming biopic, which he also produced, directed and co-wrote. Bernstein, who died in 1990, was Jewish. While non-Jewish actors have portrayed Jewish figures before, Cooper’s use of a prosthetic nose is being slammed online as “Jewface.”
“There was no need for Bradley Cooper to add an odd prosthetic nose … to play Leonard Bernstein,” one person tweeted. “His own nose is longer! And I still would have preferred they at least give Jewish actors a chance to audition before automatically casting someone more famous.”
Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman unfavorably highlighted what she called the “long tradition of non-Jews playing Jews” during an episode of her podcast in 2021, but later nonetheless joined Cooper’s production, playing Bernstein’s sister Shirley.
Several outlets decried Cooper’s prosthesis once production images leaked in 2022, while others rejected the argument and noted that Cooper is “also not gay” or “a classical composer” like Bernstein — nor is he “an alcoholic singer-songwriter in love with Lady Gaga.”
Bernstein’s children defended Cooper’s approach in an Instagram post Wednesday.
“Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father,” they wrote. “We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment” and “his loving embrace of our father’s music.”
They continued: “It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts. It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose. Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that.”
Organizations like the Media Diversity Institute have argued that the history of the “hooked nose” is comparable to blackface — and is “so deeply imbedded in modern culture, that most do not acknowledge that it is actually a deeply antisemitic stereotype.”
“Caricatures of Jews with grotesque features, and specifically with large noses, was ubiquitous in antisemitic propaganda deployed by Nazi Germany, but can also be found in the outpourings of a wide range of antisemitic regimes, organisations and ideologies,” Dr. Dave Reich of the U.K.’s Community Security Trust told the institute.
British actor and activist Tracy-Ann Oberman pointed out that Cooper “managed to play the ELEPHANT MAN without a single prosthetic” during his portrayal of John Merrick in a 2014 Broadway revival of Bernard Pomerance’s 1977 play. “He should be able to manage to play a Jewish man without one,” she wrote.
Bernstein was born to Jewish-Ukrainian immigrants and remains best known for composing the music for “West Side Story” and becoming music director of the New York Philharmonic. The Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner died of mesothelioma in 1990. He was 72 years old.
“Maestro” is set for a limited release in November and hits Netflix the following month.
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