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Jewish organisations says Bradley Cooper's prosthetic nose isn't antisemitic
Two leading Jewish groups in the US have backed the director and actor's decision to wear a fake nose
August 22, 2023 10:51
Two leading Jewish groups in the US have backed the director and actor's decision to wear a fake nose
August 22, 2023 10:51Two of the biggest Jewish organisations in the US have defended Bradley Cooper's depiction of Leonard Bernstein - including his use of a large prosthetic nose.
Last week, a trailer for Maestro, an upcoming Netflix biopic about the late composer provoked disagreement across the Jewish community after shots showed Cooper donning the prosthetic nose.
Some antisemitism groups said that the nose perpetuated historic antisemitic stereotypes of Jews with hook noses or was deliberately contrived to make Bernstein seem "more Jewish" than he actually was.
But others, including Bernstein's children, defended Cooper's decision to don the nose, saying it accurately portrayed their father's "nice big nose."
In a statement posted online Jamie, Alex, and Nina Bernstein said the actor included the family “along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father.”
The three said: “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.”
They said any criticism of the actor was "heartbreaking" and described it as “misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts.”
But now, two leading American Jewish groups have defended the nose. The Anti-Defamation League, the largest antisemitism charity in the US told TMZ: "Throughout history, Jews were often portrayed in antisemitic films and propaganda as evil caricatures with large, hooked noses. This film, which is a biopic on the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, is not that."
These comments were echoed by the American Jewish Committee who said: "We do not believe that this depiction harms or denigrates the Jewish community."
Cooper's nose-based controversy comes just weeks after questions were raised about Cillian Murphy's casting as the Jewish nuclear scientist J Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer.