The upcoming Netflix biopic about conductor Leonard Bernstein is met with criticism over the fake nose the 48-year-old actor/director wears in the film to portray the famous composer.

• Aug 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Bradley Cooper's "Maestro" has garnered a lot of attention, but not all of them for good reasons. After Netflix debuted the first teaser trailer for the movie, it has received tons of backlash over the use of fake prosthetic nose.

In the teaser that offers a glimpse of Leonard Bernstein's love story with Felicia Montealegre, Cooper wears a large prosthetic nose to portray the conductor. This has sparked a Jewface debate as many considered the fake nose unnecessary.

Jewface is a term that negatively characterizes stereotypical or inauthentic portrayals of Jewish people. "I love Bradley Cooper and I do want him to get an Oscar but-I understand the 'jewface' concerns," one user of X, formerly known as Twitter, commented, before praising Carey Mulligan's performance as Montealegre. "Carey Mulligan on the other hand COMMITS to her period pieces. That voice. She's so lovely."

Another bewildered user wrote, "bradley cooper is putting himself in an insanely large prosthetic nose to play a jewish man in maestro and we're all just supposed to act like that's cool and normal?" A third critic added, "just looked up a picture of the real leonard bernstein…. the big antisemitic prosthetic nose on bradley cooper was definitely not necessary...."

"Bradley Cooper is playing a famous Jewish man by wearing a large prosthetic nose that doesn't actually make him look like Bernstein," a fourth person posted. "I think this was supposed to be Oscar bait, too."

Others took issue with the casting, especially of Mulligan who portrays a Puerto Rican woman. "So... was there anyone (Jewish or not) who thought 'hmm, maybe we shouldn't perpetuate a stereotype rooted in antisemitism?' Were any Ashkenazi Jewish actors even considered for the role?! And Carey Mulligan playing a Costa Rican woman?!" one person pointed out.

Another wondered, "Why is Carey Mulligan playing a Costa Rican woman?" Someone else chimed in, "....so am I going to be the one to ask why an English woman is portraying a Costa Rican woman."

Neither Netflix nor Cooper, who also directed the pic and wrote the script along with Josh Singer, has commented on the controversy.

According to the official synopsis, "Maestro" is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, "Maestro", at its core, is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.

It will be released in select theaters in the U.S. on November 22 before being made available to stream on Netflix on December 20. Matthew Bomer, Jeremy Strong, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman also star in the biopic.