Bradley Cooper has received support from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) amid an ongoing debate about his upcoming film.
Last week, the trailer for Bradley’s latest project Maestro – a Netflix original in which the Oscar nominee portrays the legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein – was released.
However, soon after the teaser was posted online, many took issue with the fact the actor had worn a prosthetic nose to play the late musician, which some critics felt played into anti-Semitic stereotypes, particularly as Bradley himself is not Jewish.
On Monday, the ADL released a statement on the matter to Variety, which read: “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.”
Bradley previously received support from Bernstein’s family, who released a statement reading: “Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father.
“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. 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.”
As well as serving as director, producer and actor in Maestro, Bradley also penned the screenplay, having previously co-written his last directorial effort, the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born.
He is joined in the film by Carey Mulligan, who portrays the actor and activist Felicia Montealegre.
Maestro will receive a limited cinema release in November, before it begins streaming on Netflix on 20 December. Watch the trailer below: