Bradley Cooper was accused of antisemitism for wearing a nose prosthetic to fulfill his role as the late acclaimed composer Leonard Bernstein. Cooper will star alongside Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Jeremy Strong, Maya Hawke and more in the film.
The legendary music multi-hyphenate passed away in 1990, but his legacy in the worlds of cinema and theater is still felt. Bernstein famously composed the score for Broadway musical turned two-time blockbuster film “West Side Story.”
It's so exaggerated it kinda feels racist
— Rodrigo Esquinca (@YoSoyREEF) August 16, 2023
The late American-born Ukrainian-Jewish composer and conductor’s life is now soon to be memorialized in the upcoming “Maestro,” in which Bradley Cooper will star as the titular Bernstein. The musical icon led an extraordinary life, having grown up in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts and going on to attend Harvard University. He was a skilled pianist, composer, conductor, and more, working with acclaimed Broadway productions and filmmakers.
Throughout his numerous powerful career moves, Bernstein’s Jewish identity remained at the heart of his work and family life. Cooper is notably not Jewish. The Irish-Italian-American actor wore a nose prosthetic to step into the role of Bernstein, which can now be seen in the newly released “Maestro” trailer.
Discover the fearless love story between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
Maestro — starring Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper — is in select theaters November 22 and on Netflix December 20. pic.twitter.com/fWT2YoRzef
— Netflix (@netflix) August 15, 2023
Nosegate
Cooper attracted criticism for the prosthetic nose due to the longstanding antisemitic stereotypes associated with the facial feature in Jewish people. During the Holocaust, Nazis would often measure the noses of Jewish people, with larger measurements being seen as “unfit” with the Aryan race that Adolf Hitler desired. This was typically a component in deciding who was sent to a deadly concentration camp.
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The "big nose" stereotype for Jews comes from Nazi propaganda meant to dehumanize us. They said that you could tell a Jew from their long, hooked nose. And so we were othered. We know how that story ended. To see it in this day and age makes me wonder if the world even remembers. pic.twitter.com/uPbZFqAEJy
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) August 15, 2023
It is this practice that led to widespread antisemitic caricatures of Jewish people with comically large noses, sparking a stereotype that continues to exist today. This history in mind, viewers were not happy that Cooper and the “Maestro” team boiled down a Jewish historical figure to a large nose. Additionally, some felt that Cooper’s natural nose would have fit the role properly anyway.
This feels especially sinister because Bradley Cooper’s nose is already the same shape and size, if not slightly larger, than Leonard Bernstein’s was. https://t.co/4GbCEFqvnG pic.twitter.com/bnOLLFn6JT
— Sarah McGonagall (@gothspiderbitch) August 16, 2023
“Maestro” Defenders
On the other side of the spectrum, some felt that the prosthetic should not be criticized, as Cooper is an actor and could have been simply going to great lengths to get into character.
So we’re really so soft that actors aren’t even allowed to…*checks notes* act anymore?
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) August 16, 2023
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Some recount other successful films in which actors relied on prosthetics, including Robin Williams’ role in “Mrs. Doubtfire”.
???????? pic.twitter.com/NplrOWfgPB
— Grizzly Beatz (@Grizzlybeatz) August 16, 2023
Bernstein Family Response
The late Bernstein’s family responded to the claims that the prosthetic was antisemitic. The statement appeared to defend the production’s choice to include it in Bradley’s Bernstein transformation.
The children of Leonard Bernstein issued a supportive statement amid complaints that Bradley Cooper's prosthetic nose in 'Maestro' had undertones of anti-Semitism: https://t.co/1uYGVEQM1X pic.twitter.com/y4fjd9dYRO
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 16, 2023
The statement came from Bernstein’s three children, who defended Cooper’s performance and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside the actor. Despite the family’s approval of the creative choice, some still feel that it was inappropriate.
Happy the family is happy – but that doesn't change the fact that using a big nose just to achieve what's thought to be a Jewish face is problematic for Jews. ????Non-Jewish actor? No Problem. But no need for prosthetics. If it's acting then just act
— (((Laura Hellen))) (@LHellen) August 16, 2023
“Maestro” comes to select theaters on November 22 and Netflix on December 20. Cooper is yet to comment on the controversy at this time.
