Bradley Cooper has taken on some intriguing roles over the course of his career, but his latest coud end up being one of the most compelling. He’s set to play late composer Leonard Bernstein in the 2023 new movie release Maestro, and the trailer teased the actor completely changing his look for the part. However, one of the methods he used to do that has drawn criticism. Cooper was accused of perpetuating “Jewface” while taking on the role and, since then, a nuanced conversation has been sparked. While social media commentators continue to speak out, a Jewish organizations are weighing in.
The specific point of contention stems from one of the prosthetics the Oscar nominee used for his performance. He sports a fake nose in the movie, presumably in order to better resemble the late conductor he’s portraying. After the first trailer was released, many accused the star of furthering stereotypes about those belonging to the Jewish faith. The American Jewish Committee, however, shared a statement with TMZ, in which it disagreed with the notion that the 48-year-old actor’s approach is harmful. All in all, it does “not believe that this depiction harms or denigrates the Jewish community.”
