Leonard Bernstein’s children defend Bradley Cooper’s prosthetic nose in Maestro

Leonard Bernstein’s children have defended Bradley Cooper’s use of “make-up to amplify his resemblance” to the late composer in his forthcoming Netflix biopic, Maestro.

Following the discharge of the movie’s first trailer on Tuesday (15 August), Cooper has courted controversy for sporting a prosthetic nose to painting the well-known Jewish composer.

In a press release from Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein on Wednesday, they mentioned: “Bradley Cooper included the three of us alongside each step of his superb journey as he made his movie about our father.

“We had been touched to the core to witness the depth of his dedication, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted pleasure he delivered to his exploration.

“It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts.”

“It occurs to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a pleasant, huge nose. Bradley selected to make use of make-up to amplify his resemblance, and we’re completely superb with that. We’re additionally sure that our dad would have been superb with it as nicely.”

It continued: “Any strident complaints round this challenge strike us above all as disingenuous makes an attempt to convey a profitable particular person down a notch – a apply we noticed all too typically perpetrated on our personal father.

“Always through the making of this movie, we might really feel the profound respect and sure, the love that Bradley delivered to his portrait of Leonard Bernstein and his spouse, our mom Felicia.

“We really feel so lucky to have had this expertise with Bradley, and we are able to’t look forward to the world to see his creation.”

Described as “a love letter to life and artwork”, Maestro – co-produced by Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg – depicts the decades-long relationship between Bernstein and his spouse, Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (Carey Mulligan).

Within the teaser, Cooper seems aged as he depicts the composer at totally different moments of his life. Bernstein died aged 72 in 1990.

Former EastEnders actor Tracy-Ann Oberman, who’s from a Jewish background, in contrast Cooper showing to have “a prosthetic nose” as just like using blackface make-up.

She advised her Instagram followers: “Cillian (Murphy) might play Oppenheimer as a result of he seems like Oppenheimer and will get the facility of the person’s story and Jewishness by way of the facility of his performing, ditto Tom Conti as Einstein didn’t need to ‘put on’ a nose.

“If Bradley Cooper can’t do it by way of the facility or performing alone then don’t forged him – get a Jewish actor.”

Cooper’s representatives didn’t reply to The Unbiased’s request for remark.

Binyomin Gilbert, a spokesperson for Marketing campaign Towards Antisemitism, mentioned: “We dwell in a world that’s extra delicate to the racial portrayal of characters on the display screen and which actors play them.

“Affordable individuals can disagree on the extent to which that may be a constructive growth for the performing trade. However it’s the actuality.

“Subsequently it’s astonishing that no person thought twice about sticking an enormous nose on a non-Jewish actor taking part in a Jew.

“The filmmakers right here want to indicate that they perceive why this can be a downside. A failure to take action would point out that there’s a double commonplace on the subject of the portrayal of Jews on display screen.”

Actor and producer Jake Gyllenhaal, who has Jewish heritage, beforehand spoke of his disappointment upon dropping a bid for the rights to a Bernstein movie to Cooper, admitting he had been craving to play “some of the preeminent Jewish artists in America” for nearly 20 years.

Maestro will likely be in choose UK cinemas on 24 November and on Netflix from 20 December.

Extra reporting by the Press Affiliation