Bradley Cooper Defends Decision to Wear Prosthetic Nose in ‘Maestro’

Bradley Cooper's use of a prosthetic nose in Maestro initially raised some eyebrows, and now the actor has finally broken his silence about why he deemed it necessary.

Cooper plays legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming Netflix film — which he also directs — in which he dons a prosthetic to mimic Bernstein's appearance.

While some criticized Cooper and the film for leaning into the concept of "Jewface," the actor defended the decision during an appearance on CBS Mornings Tuesday, saying, "My nose is very similar to Lenny's, actually."

"I thought, 'Maybe we don't need to do it,'" Cooper continued, "because we could take down time of prep. But it's all about balance. My lips are nothing like Lenny's, and my chin."

Ultimately, Cooper decided, "We just had to do it, otherwise I couldn't believe he's a human being."

In the actor's defense, Bernstein's own children wrote a letter of support for Cooper which read, "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."

The prosthetic was also defended by the Anti-Defamation League, who shared in a statement: "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."

Cooper called the backing of Bernstein's family "very moving," noting, "The truth is, I've done this whole project out of love. It's so clear to me where I come from."

Maestro will be released in select theaters Nov. 22 before hitting Netflix Dec. 20.