Credit: ABCIf you have an ear in the entertainment world, you know of Bradley Cooper. But lately, the actor is seeing some very negative press.
Marvel fans watched Cooper take the MCU by storm in Guardians of the Galaxy as the iconic character Rocket. Cooper took over our hearts with just his voice in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, I Am Groot, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Cooper took over the hearts of all who watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when we saw Rocket’s backstory and fell for the soft side of the tough rodent. Cooper’s voice can even be heard in Disneyland when Guests visit Avenger’s Campus and ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, where Rocket’s animatronic helps you complete the stomach-churning mission.
Bradley Cooper’s career, of course, extends even further outside of Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cooper began to make it big and gain notoriety by starring in comedies like Wedding Crashers and The Hangover series. Following that, he then began to garner Academy recognition for roles in films like Silver Linings Playbook (2013), American Hustle (2014), American Sniper (2015), A Star Is Born (2019), Joker (2020), and Nightmare Alley (2022). The comedic actor quickly became a cinematic icon over the years, now starring as an A-list celebrity.
That being said, Cooper has been under fire after the first looks of his upcoming film Maestro — starring Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper — which will be in select theaters on November 22 and on Netflix on December 20. In the film, Cooper has transformed himself to look exactly like the famed composer Leonard Bernstein.
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As we previously reported, “This new film will focus on arguably the most influential American composer in history, Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein carved out a legendary career that includes composing West Side Story, one of history’s most regularly performed Broadway plays. He was also the first American-born conductor to lead a major symphony orchestra. Bernstein was the music director for the New York Philharmonic and was instrumental in bringing classical music to television, as he led shows like Young People’s Concerts and New York Philharmonic.”
The film, however, will focus on the love story that Berstein experienced with his wife Felicia Montealegre. In the film, we have already seen that Cooper looks quite different than usual thanks to a prosthetic nose which matches Bernstein’s appearance. But, with Leonard Bernstein being a jew, and Cooper not, the decision to place an larger, prosthetic nose on his face has ruffled the feathers of many, finding the choice to be anti-Semitic.
Pop Crave (@popcrave) shared the news stating, “Bradley Cooper faces backlash for wearing a prosthetic nose in ‘Maestro,’ his upcoming biopic of Jewish conductor Leonard Bernstein. Critics say the larger prosthetic reinforces an antisemitic stereotype about Jews.”
Bradley Cooper faces backlash for wearing a prosthetic nose in 'Maestro,' his upcoming biopic of Jewish conductor Leonard Bernstein.
Critics say the larger prosthetic reinforces an antisemitic stereotype about Jews. pic.twitter.com/24y6ag3iCo
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 16, 2023
The majority of comments on this Tweet actually stand up for the choice to add the prosthetic as many believe that this is not anti-semitism but just a character choice. Others think that the nose, in general, looks bad and does not match the nose of Leonard in the first place.
That being said, no matter what the public would like to say, the family of Bernstein has spoken out in defence of Cooper and the film.
Film Updates (@filmupdates) shared the statement:
The family of Leonard Bernstein have released a statement defending Bradley Cooper following online backlash about his appearance in ‘MAESTRO’.
The family of Leonard Bernstein have released a statement defending Bradley Cooper following online backlash about his appearance in ‘MAESTRO’.
“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… pic.twitter.com/6DRlYsi20C
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 16, 2023
The letter reads:
Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father. We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration. 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. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well. 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.
At all times during the making of this film, we could feel the profound respect and yes, the love that Bradley brought to his portrait of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, our mother Felicia. We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we can’t wait for the world to see his creation.
-Jamie, Alexander, & Nina Bernstein
From this, it is clear that the family sees no issue with the portrayal of Leonard Bernstein by Bradley Cooper.
Bradley Cooper is directing the Netflix-produced film, also being produced by legendary filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Todd Phillips, and Martin Scorsese. Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer wrote the film, featuring Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman.
What do you think? Is the nose prosthetic anti-Semitic?