When the first teaser trailer for Maestro arrived in August, Bradley Cooper received a ton of backlash for what some people perceived as “Jewface”.
The writer, director and star plays Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein, despite not being a Jew and wore a false nose for the part that is expected to get an Oscars nomination.
Actress Tracey-Ann Obermann wrote on social media: “If [Cooper] needs to wear a prosthetic nose then that is, to me and many others, the equivalent of Black-Face or Yellow-Face.
“If Bradley Cooper can’t [play the role] through the power or acting alone then don’t cast him – get a Jewish Actor.”
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg called the prosthetics “problematic”, describing the biopic as “ethnic cosplay.”
Bernstein’s children have since come to Cooper’s defence, but the portrayal remains controversial as the new trailer arrives today.
They wrote on social media: “It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of [Cooper’s] efforts … Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well.”
The film’s synopsis reads: “Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between 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.”
Maestro is heading to select UK cinemas on November 24, 2023 before streaming on Netflix from December 20, 2023.
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