A trailer for Maestro, an upcoming biopic about the late Jewish-American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, was released on Tuesday — but director and star Bradley Cooper was criticized for wearing a prosthetic nose to portray Bernstein, with some calling it antisemitic.
"As Jews, we are very concerned about how we're being represented these days," Bial said. "That makes us very nervous when we see this kind of ancient trope being repeated."The film recounts Bernstein's life and romance with his wife, Felicia Montealegre.
"It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose," the statement, signed by his children Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein, read in part. "Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we're perfectly fine with that." 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. pic.twitter.com/37tkIt016SWhile she said she was glad that Bernstein's family was involved closely in the project, Tolsky said it's unfortunate that Cooper's roles as star, director, co-producer and co-writer were not given to Jewish talent.
"We're not a monolithic group of people, and I think where this gets tricky [is] when you compare it to other cultures, other races who are also pushing for more authentic representation. Jews are not one race. We're not one ethnicity. We're not one background. Jews come in all colours, come from all places."Comedian Sarah Silverman coined the term "Jewface" in 2021, referring to when a non-Jewish actor plays a Jewish person in a film or TV show.
The term itself has drawn a mixed reaction from the community, being a play on the term "Blackface," in which white minstrel performers darkened their skin to mock Black people. One of the most famous instances of Blackface occurred when Jewish comedian Al Jolson darkened his skin in the 1927 musical