Bradley Cooper has been accused of perpetuating an offensive Jewish stereotype by wearing a prosthetic nose in his portrayal of legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming film, Maestro.
The trailer for the film, which Cooper stars in, co-writes and directs, is centred around Bernstein’s partnership with his wife, Felicia Montealegre. However, reactions have focused on the prosthetic nose Cooper is wearing, with many suggesting on social media that it’s an offensive, stereotypical portrayal of a Jewish person, known as Jewface.
Widely regarded as one of the most significant composers of the 20th century, Bernstein is best known for popularising classical music; he wrote the musical, West Side Story, among many others. He conducted many of the world’s great orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, composed music for ballet, film, theatre and opera, and is credited with the modern revival of composer Gustav Mahler’s work.
British actor and activist Tracy-Ann Obermann took to social media to question the use of the prosthetic.
“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,” she wrote.
Read the article by Kerrie O’Brien in The Sydney Morning Herald.