Bradley Cooper accused of 'Jewface' for using prosthetic nose in Maestro

Bradley Cooper's latest film Maestro has sparked controversy just a day after the film's first teaser was released. Cooper has been called out for wearing a large prosthetic nose while playing the Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein in the film.

Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper -- who wrote, directed and stars in Maestro -- has received criticism since a trailer for the upcoming Netflix film was released online this week.

What's a Jewface?

Cooper portrays legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming biopic. While non-Jewish actors have portrayed Jewish figures before, Cooper’s use of a prosthetic nose is being slammed online as Jewface. Critics have said the decision to use a prosthetic nose plays up to Jewish stereotypes.

The term Jewface has a negative connotation to it. It characterises stereotypical or inauthentic portrayals of Jewish people. The term Jewface is also similar to Blackface, which is a practice of non-Black performers darkening their faces for roles.

Bradley, a non-jew, has also been questioned for not casting a Jewish actor to play a jew character on screen.

Bernstein family reacts

The family of Leonard Bernstein has defended Bradley Cooper's controversial decision to wear a large prosthetic nose while playing the Jewish composer in thefilm.

The late Bernstein's three children said they were "perfectly fine" with Cooper's decision "to use makeup to amplify his resemblance" to their father.

"It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose," wrote Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein in a statement on social media. "We're also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well," they added.

Bernstein family praised Cooper for "the depth of his commitment" to the project.

"It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts," they wrote. "Any strident complaints around this issue strike us above all as disingenuous attempts to bring a successful person down a notch -- a practice we observed all too often perpetrated on our own father."

Bernstein, the son of Jewish-Ukrainian immigrants, died in 1990 but remains one of the best-known composers and conductors of all time.

He served as music director of the New York Philharmonic and wrote the Broadway musical West Side Story.

Cooper, a nine-time Oscar nominee, is best known for A Star Is Born and The Hangover films.

Maestro is a biographical romance about Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre, who is played by Carey Mulligan.Maestro is due to premiere at next month's Venice Film Festival.

Cooper has already said he will not attend the premiere because of the ongoing Hollywood strike.

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