Over the summer, the first official photos and trailer came out for Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. He directed and stars in the Leonard Bernstein bio-pic and it’s apparently his passion project and something he’s been working on for years. Considering his years of interest in playing Bernstein, you would think that Bradley would have carefully considered how he wanted his Bernstein to look regarding makeup and prosthetics. You would think that Bradley wouldn’t go overboard with a comically offensive fake nose. You would be wrong! Once the trailer came out, all people could talk about was why the hell did Bradley feel it was necessary to wear a giant prosthetic nose? Bernstein’s real nose wasn’t even that big. Well, now that the SAG strike is over, Bradley finally has a chance to explain his thinking.
Bradley Cooper said the backlash over his prosthetic nose in “Maestro” didn’t catch him “off guard” and is standing by his decision to emulate famed conductor Leonard Bernstein’s face.
“The truth is…I’d done this whole process out of love, and it’s so clear to me where I come from,” Cooper told CBS’ Gayle King in an interview aired Tuesday.
“My nose is very similar to Lenny’s, actually. I thought, ‘Maybe we don’t need to do it,’ but it’s all about balance, and, you know, my lips are nothing like Lenny’s, and my chin.”
The “A Star Is Born” actor maintained that his appearance “didn’t look right [without the prosthetic].”
Cooper, 48, also explained that the younger version of Bernstein in the film used more minimal prosthetics, but as the character ages, the makeup artists had to reflect the changes.
“By the time he’s older, it’s the whole face [that had prosthetics], so we just had to do it,” said Cooper. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t believe he was a human being.”
So, I understand – generally – the argument of hey, I tried different makeup and prosthetics and this is the combination which seemed to give me the most authentic Bernstein look. But look at the actual photos and the nose in motion in the trailer – the nose doesn’t actually “balance” his face at all or make him look any more or less like Bernstein. Playing the younger Bernstein without any prosthetics would have been the more “balanced” choice. You’re an actor – act like Bernstein, apply some makeup tricks and call it a day.
Photos courtesy of Jason McDonald/Netflix, screencap from trailer and Backgrid.
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- New York, NY – Bradley Cooper and Matt Bomer on set filming ‘Maestro’ in New York City. Bradley is starring as famed composer Leonard Bernstein while Bomer is taking on the role of a clarinet player with whom Bernstein had a brief romance. Pictured: Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer BACKGRID USA 6 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: T.JACKSON / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Bradley Cooper and Matt Bomer on set filming ‘Maestro’ in New York City. Bradley is starring as famed composer Leonard Bernstein while Bomer is taking on the role of a clarinet player with whom Bernstein had a brief romance. Pictured: Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer BACKGRID USA 6 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: T.JACKSON / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Actor Bradley Cooper gets into character as he transforms into Leonard Bernstein to shoot scenes for the upcoming Netflix film “Maestro.” Pictured: Bradley Cooper BACKGRID USA 5 JULY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Robert O’Neil/Backgrid / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Actor Bradley Cooper gets into character as he transforms into Leonard Bernstein to shoot scenes for the upcoming Netflix film “Maestro.” Pictured: Bradley Cooper BACKGRID USA 5 JULY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Robert O’Neil/Backgrid / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
wow, his explanation makes it worse. i can’t play this character without an offensive, harmful stereotype nose.
And he calls him “Lenny” like they’re bff’s!
He noticed that actors win Oscars for roles where they wear prosthetics, so he wore one (that made no sense).
I’ve come to the conclusion that prestige bio-pics are not for me. If someone else wants to go, I will. My mom loves them. But for myself, I’ll wait for the DVD at the library where I can watch them and knit. They are usually a movie that could have been a book.
Most bio-pics are based on books.
This “explanation” is just DUMB. Lots of actors play real life people WITHOUT prosthetics. He DOES have a similar face to Bernstein – which is why the fake nose looks silly. He could have just used his own face! Bradley is like a LOT of actors who rely on things like this instead of focusing on the role itself. This was a PROP for him that he used to “get into character” instead of simply “getting into character” with his research. I worked with actors like this and it always struck me as lazy.
I am not interested in seeing this movie at all.
His explanation is trash.
No prop nose needed, a bio pic should be about the character of the subject.
BCooper still just looks BC wearing a fake nose.
Cooper has a career that his talent can not support, IMO.
Dustin Hoffman did not need props to portray Bernstein in All the Presidents Men, Redford did nothing to change his looks portraying Woodward. Still an excellent movie!
Talent. 👍
The first and last time I watched Bradley Cooper was in the otherwise excellent Alias series. Just a second rate talent and not worth my time.
If the Bernstein family – his own children – don’t have a problem with it I’m not sure why anyone else does.
Because this isn’t just about it being an insult to Leonard Bernstein. It’s about the fake nose perpetuating an offensive, antisemitic stereotype, and that affects a LOT of people. Anyone whose life has been negatively affected by stereotypes like this certainly has the right to be affronted, as do the people who support them.
He’s portraying an actual person, not a trope. This isn’t the same thing as the goblins in Gringotts. The people who are closest to that person are not offended, so again, why do you care. You’re not even offended on behalf of yourself, just “anyone whose life has been negatively affected by stereotypes” – which is literally everyone. But that moral superiority feels good I guess, so do you.
I’m not sure where you got the idea that I’m not offended on behalf of myself, because I never said that. I heard plenty of “but you can’t be Jewish, because your nose isn’t that big” throughout my life, and seeing that garbage needlessly perpetuated pisses me off. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe that this fake nose has anything to do with looking like ‘an actual person” because i actually think it makes him look LESS like Bernstein. It really reads as “well, I’m playing a Jewish guy, so I guess I need a giant nose, right?” And if you can’t understand why that upsets people, I really don’t know what else to say. But I’m quite certain that trying to convince you further is a waste of my time, so enjoy the rest of your day.
Leonard Bernstein’s family do not speak for everyone, plus they likely are financially benefitting from this movie so of course they’re cool w/whatever.
I personally find Cooper’s explanation to be the height of absurdity, I’m not even Jewish and that grotesque prosthetic that in NO WAY balances his face, offends the beejeezus out of me. It is playing into an especially offensive Jewish stereotype, and I truly hope this movie TANKS
I can’t get over Cooper’s new face. He was on Colbert. They removed so much skin that it’s a shock, and not a good one. Much less attractive now, did he say “give me the Brad Pitt special?”
It’s not like Bradley doesn’t have a large nose himself. His natural nose would have been perfect. Maybe he didn’t want to admit that lol…
^ this, exactly! BC’s real nose is about the same shape and size of LB’s.
The fake nose is distracting and kind of offensive (LB’s kids are welcome to make whatever public statements they choose, but a prosthetic which makes an actor look LESS like the person they are portraying PLUS perpetuates an old destructive anti-Semitic stereotype was not a good choice by Actor-Producer-Director BC)
Cooper, “I don’t look like Bernstein so I decided to throw on a giant nose to play him” WTF?
He’s so thirsty for that Oscar and he’s gonna still lose to Cillian
*Fingers crossed*
Praying this movie TANKS 🤞
I thought he did it for the side profile shots. And I still think that. He did it for the movie poster.
Bernstein kids defended him so…. I personally think he should’ve worked on the hair. I don’t know. The kids want people to watch so we will see.
If Bernstein’s kids are okay with the portrayal, which they are, I think it’s a non issue and people are trying to make a thing where there isn’t one.
Saw the movie. Interestingly, when he’s younger the prosthetics are really distracting. As he ages, and more prosthetics are put on, then it’s an older man and it balances out. It is a VERY indulgent film. I wonder what it would’ve been if Spielberg directed it as planned. Cooper asked him to back off