Why Bradley Cooper’s Upcoming Biopic is Courting Controversy

Bradley Cooper’s upcoming biofilm is courting a bit of controversy, and we have new details as to why. The actor has been hard at work on Maestro, a biographical movie about the life of late composer Leonard Bernstein. In addition to directing, producing, and co-writing the film, Cooper stars as the late musical legend. 

As part of the costuming and make-up for the role, Cooper dons a fake nose, which has often been used as a stereotype against the Jewish community. This has led many to criticize Cooper and the film, per Us Weekly, including comments about the depiction appearing anti-Semitic. In response, Bernstein’s children — Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein — have penned a stark defense of the actor and his movie.

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“Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father,” the three said in a joint statement. “We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration. It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts.”

“It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose,” the Berstein children’s statement continued. “Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well. Any strident complaints around this issue strike us above all as disingenuous attempts to bring a successful person down a notch – a practice we observed all too often perpetrated on our own father.”

“At all times during the making of this film, we could feel the profound respect and yes, the love that Bradley brought to his portrait of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, our mother Felicia,” the statement concluded. “We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we can’t wait for the world to see his creation.”

Previously, Cooper spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about working on the film, and shared how Berstein’s family had been very helpful and supportive. “I just did all this research about this incredible family, the Bernsteins, and Felicia Montealegre, [Leonard’s] wife. Their relationship – fascinating – and the kids. They’re so articulate about their feelings,” he said in 2022. 

Cooper continued, “There’s the movie; a movie about marriage, a movie about family. That’s it. Why is it nuclear? Because it’s this f—ing music. Music is nuclear. I had a secret weapon in A Star Is Born. It was Lady Gaga. The secret weapon I have in this movie is f—ing Leonard Bernstein and Gustav Mahler. The music!” Maestro is scheduled to premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it will compete for the Golden Lion on September 2. It is set for limited theatrical release on November 22, before streaming on Netflix on December 20.