Actors and actresses getting changes in their hair color, body weight, and even changes in the body of movie characters are common. Unlike these regular changes, Bradley Cooper hits the headlines after getting changes in his nose. People are upset with Bradley Cooper for using a fake nose in the movie “Maestro,” which is about a famous American music composer and conductor named Leonard Bernstein.
In the recent trailer of the movie “Maestro,” which came out earlier this week, Bradley Cooper is seen using makeup to make his nose appear larger. Some people think this might reinforce hurtful stereotypes about Jewish people.
The family of Leonard Bernstein has spoken up to support Bradley Cooper. They shared a statement saying they are okay with how the actor portrayed Leonard Bernstein and feel sad that some people do not understand his sincere intentions.
Criticism was faced by Hollywood for casting.
Bradley Cooper is not Jewish, and this has caused people to criticize and start a discussion about casting in Hollywood. This issue has been around for a long time, where people question if only actors who have the same characteristics as the character from minority groups should play those roles.
We are not sure yet how much the movie “Maestro” will focus on Leonard Bernstein’s Jewish background. Reviewers have not seen the film yet, and it will premiere in Venice next month. It will be available on Netflix in December.
This is not the first time any movie is surrounded by a row. In 2018, Scarlett Johansson decided not to play a transgender man in the movie “Rub and Tug.” This decision came after she was in the Hollywood adaptation of the anime movie “Ghost in the Shell” the year before. She received criticism for playing a character of Japanese origin in that film.
Tom Hanks, who acted as a gay man with AIDS in the 1993 movie “Philadelphia,” stated last year that being a straight man, he would not take on such a role today, and he thinks this is the right thing to do. Eddie Redmayne also thought again about his part in the 2015 film “The Danish Girl.” He admitted that his choice to act as a transgender woman was a “mistake.”
The incidents from Hollywood do not stop here. The movie “Exodus: Gods and Kings” 2014 by Ridley Scott received criticism for having actors who are not Arab portray Egyptians. In the 2010 film, “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” the main role was played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who is of Swedish and Jewish descent.
David Baddiel speaks up on the casting of actors in films
All these movies have been looked at closely. Comedian and writer David Baddiel has mentioned that he is confused about why the same idea of using authentic actors is not consistently used for movies or shows about Jewish people.
In his book from 2021 called “Jews Don’t Count,” he explains, “Jews remain the only minority where you don’t have to cast the actors in line with the real thing.” Baddiel talking about the casting in “Rub and Tug,” says that people would quickly get upset and there would be results if a non-trans actor were chosen for a transgender role.
However, there has been more disapproval of such casting lately. Last year, actress Maureen Lipman shared that she did not agree with Dame Helen Mirren being chosen to play Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the upcoming film “Golda.”
