Bradley Cooper reignites Jewface debate with prosthetic nose in 'Maestro' trailer

A new trailer for a Bradley Cooper film portraying American conductor Leonard Bernstein has reignited a "Jewface" debate after the actor was shown wearing a large prosthetic nose.

Netflix released the teaser for the film Maestro, starring Cooper alongside Carey Mulligan in what has been described as a "fearless love story" between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.

Discover the fearless love story between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.

Maestro — starring Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper — is in select theaters November 22 and on Netflix December 20. pic.twitter.com/fWT2YoRzef

— Netflix (@netflix) August 15, 2023

In the clip, Cooper can be seen in costume as Bernstein with a clearly prosthetic nose.

Last year, when stills of the film were first released, many Jews said that the choice to give him the exaggerated nose played into antisemitic stereotypes.

The cinematography is sooo good. It really brings out the prosthetic nose Bradley Cooper put on to look Jewish 🤩 https://t.co/bNijLhzbqo

— A ♡ (@MRAlvaradodos) August 15, 2023

Cooper, who is directing the film as well as starring in it, has not addressed the criticisms since they were first raised in May 2022.

Don’t give non-Jewish actors a fake nose to play Jews.

This stereotype leans into Nazi race science on what Jews look like, centuries of hooked nose imagery, and propaganda made to dehumanize Jewish people!

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) May 31, 2022

Jewish actor Jake Gyllenhaal was reportedly in talks to play the titular maestro, Bernstein but ultimately lost out to Cooper.

Response to Jewface in the Jewish community has often been mixed, with some, like author David Baddiel bemoaning what they see as an erasure of Jewish actors when Jewish parts are given to Gentiles.

Recently Baddiel criticised the casting of Irish actor Cillian Murphy as Robert J Oppenheimer in blockbuster released earlier this summer.

Others have argued that all actors should be given an equal chance to play characters based on the merits of their performing abilities.