While Maestro is shaping up to be one of the best Netflix movies judging by the early positive buzz, the biopic about Leonard Bernstein hasn’t escaped controversy. Specifically, director and lead actor Bradley Cooper was accused earlier this year of “Jewface” because he wore a prosthetic nose while playing the conductor. Now the filmmaker has now broken his silence about the controversy and why he decided to alter his appearance for the role.
Ahead of Maestro’s limited theatrical release kicking off, Cooper and co-star Carey Mulligan, who plays Bernstein’s wife Felicia Montealegre, stopped by CBS Mornings to promote the movie that Netflix subscribers will be able to stream in late December. The prosthetic nose was among the topics discussed, and Cooper started off saying that he did this project “out of love,” then noted how his real nose is actually “very similar” to Bernstein’s and described the prosthetic as “like a silk sheet.” He then continued:
I thought, ‘Maybe we don’t need to do it.’ Because we could take down time of prep. But it’s all about balance, and, you know, my lips are nothing like Lenny’s, and my chin. And so we had that, and it just didn’t look right [without the prosthetic].
Bradley Cooper then explained how the prosthetics on his face had to be widen as Leonard Bernstein got older in the movie so that he could look convincing as the aging musician. He also said in the interview that it was “very moving” how Leonard Bernstein’s children came to his defense when the prosthetic nose controversy emerged, and recalled how during a phone call with Alexander, Bernstein’s son, a “huge emotional exhalation” came out, causing him to cry hard during the conversation, which prompted Alexander to cry too.
Applying the prosthetic nose and entirety of makeup certainly couldn’t be done quickly. Makeup artist Kazu Hiro revealed in early October that Cooper would come to the Maestro set at 1 a.m., roughly two hours before the other crew members came in, to have the nose, as well “the body fat and arms” applied. He did this so early because having the makeup applied during the middle of a days’s shoot would have wasted valuable time. The length of time Cooper spent in the makeup chair depended on Bernstein’s age, ranging from two and a half hours for his 20s to as many as five hours for when he was in his 70s.
It remains to be seen if the nose controversy will ignite again now that the public is getting to see Maestro, but either way, this entry for the 2023 movies calendar won’t be lacking for attention in the coming weeks. Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan are joined by Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman, among others. Additionally, Cooper wrote the script with Josh Singer.
For those unable to check out Maestro on a big screen, you’ll be able to watch the movie in the comfort of your own home on Netflix starting December 20. Next up, Bradley Cooper will team up with Steven Spielberg for Bullitt, which will deliver a new story rather than be a straightforward remake of the 1968 original.
