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‘We Had to Do It’: Bradley Cooper Addresses Controversy Over Use of Prosthetic Nose in Leonard Bernstein Film ‘Maestro’
Actor and director Bradley Cooper spoke out for the first time on Tuesday about his use of a prosthetic nose to play the late American Jewish composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein in the film Maestro, a decision that according to critics played into the antisemitic stereotype that Jews have noticeably larger noses.
Cooper — who directs and stars in the movie — admitted during an interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gaye King that he was at first against using a prosthetic nose for the film.
“My nose is very similar to Lenny’s, actually. The prosthetic is actually like a silk sheet and I thought, ‘Maybe we don’t need to do it,’ because we can take down time from prep,” Cooper said. “But it’s all about balance, and, you know, my lips are nothing like Lenny’s, and my chin. And so we had that, and it just didn’t look right [without the prosthetic]. So we just had to do it.”
He also talked about his pure intentions during the whole process of making Maestro and how he spent six years preparing for his role, which included working with a dialect coach, learning how to conduct an orchestra, and perfecting Bernstein’s mannerisms.
“The truth is, I’ve done this whole project out of love and it’s so clear to me where I come from,” Cooper said.
Maestro is largely a love story that focuses on Bernstein’s private life, family, and marriage to Costa Rican-American actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, who is played in the movie by Carey Mulligan. The former conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein was best known for writing the music for West Side Story and won 16 Grammy Awards, seven Emmys, and two Tonys throughout his career.
When the trailer and first-look images for Maestro were released earlier this year, Cooper received backlash for the use of the prosthetic nose in his portrayal of Bernstein. The Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee both defended Cooper’s decision at the time and even Bernstein’s children released a statement supporting the actor.
“It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose,” Bernstein’s family said in part. “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.”
Cooper said during his latest interview that he called Bernstein’s son after the statement came out and cried on the phone while trying to thank him for the family’s support. “This huge emotional exhalation came out [on the phone] and I just was crying so hard I couldn’t even thank him. And he started crying,” Cooper remembered. “It was an incredible moment. I couldn’t believe that gesture. It was very moving to me.”
Maestro will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 20.
The post ‘We Had to Do It’: Bradley Cooper Addresses Controversy Over Use of Prosthetic Nose in Leonard Bernstein Film ‘Maestro’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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EU and Israel Resume Dialogue With Focus on Gaza’s Future
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar speaks next to High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, and EU commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica as they hold a press conference on the day of an EU-Israel Association Council with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for a constructive dialogue but braced for criticism from some European countries as he arrived for talks on Monday in Brussels.
The Israeli minister is meeting senior European officials, reviving a dialogue with the European Union as the bloc considers a role in the reconstruction of Gaza following last month’s fragile ceasefire deal.
“I’m looking for a constructive dialogue, an open and honest one, and I believe that this is what it will be,” Saar told reporters on arrival.
“We know how to face criticism,” he said, adding “it’s okay as long as criticism is not connected to delegitimization, demonization, or double standards … but we are ready to discuss everything with an open mind.”
Saar will co-chair a meeting of the EU–Israel Association Council with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the first such session since 2022. Talks are set to focus on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and changing regional dynamics.
The Israeli foreign minister said that within the EU “there are very friendly countries, there are less friendly countries,” but that Monday’s meeting showed a willingness to renew normal relations.
The Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel‘s response, exposed sharp divisions within the EU. While all members condemned the Hamas attacks, some staunchly defended Israel‘s war in Gaza as others condemned Israel‘s military campaign and its toll on civilians.
COMPROMISE
In February 2024, the leaders of Spain and Ireland sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a review of whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations under the 2000 EU–Israel Association Agreement, which provides the basis for political and economic cooperation between the two sides.
But ahead of Monday’s meeting, the bloc’s 27 member countries negotiated a compromise position that praises areas of cooperation with Israel while also raising concerns.
At the meeting, the EU will emphasize both Europe’s commitment to Israel‘s security and its view that “displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza,” according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump shocked Arab nations and Western allies by proposing the United States “take over” Gaza, displacing its Palestinian inhabitants and creating the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
The war started when Hamas-led terrorists launched a cross-border attack on Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
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Merz Says He Will Find Way for Netanyahu to Visit Germany Without Being Arrested
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the party headquarters, after the exit poll results are announced for the 2025 general election, in Berlin, Germany, Feb. 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday he had invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit and would find a way for him to do so without being arrested under a warrant by the International Criminal Court.
“I think it is a completely absurd idea that an Israeli prime minister cannot visit the Federal Republic of Germany,” Merz said at a press conference, a day after his conservatives won the largest share of the vote in a national election.
Merz said he had told Netanyahu by phone “that we would find ways and means for him to visit Germany and leave again without being arrested.”
Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader had congratulated Merz. It also said Merz had told Netanyahu he would invite him to Germany “in defiance of the scandalous International Criminal Court decision to label the prime minister a war criminal.”
The Hague-based ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister as well as Hamas officials for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.
All 27 EU countries including Germany are signatories of the founding treaty of the court, the only permanent international tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity, which requires members to arrest its suspects on their territory.
The ICC said that states have a legal obligation to enforce its decisions, and any concerns they may have should be addressed with the court in a timely and efficient manner.
“It is not for states to unilaterally determine the soundness of the court’s legal decisions,” said the ICC.
Israel rejects the jurisdiction of the court and denies war crimes, noting its military forces in Gaza have been targeting Hamas terrorists, who hide their weapons, operations centers, and other military infrastructure within and underneath civilian sites.
Germans feel a special responsibility towards Israel due to the legacy of the Holocaust, and Merz has made clear he is a strong ally. But Germany also has a strong tradition of support for international justice for war crimes.
The Left party called Merz’s invitation a “disaster” and accused him of “double standards.”
Germany has always insisted that international arrest warrants must be implemented, said Left co-leader Jan van Aken.
“If Vladimir Putin comes to Germany, then this arrest warrant must be implemented. The same applies to Netanyahu,” said Aken, referring to an ICC arrest warrant issued for the Russian leader over the deportation of children from Ukraine.
The war in Gaza started when Hamas-led terrorists launched a cross-border attack on Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.
Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
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US Imposes New Sanctions on Iran’s Shadow Oil Fleet
A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. Photo: REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi
The United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry on Monday, hitting more than 30 brokers, tanker operators, and shipping companies for their role in selling and transporting Iranian petroleum, the Treasury Department said.
The announcement comes as US President Donald Trump seeks to bring Iran’s crude exports to zero to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon and builds on the layers of sanctions already imposed by his government and the previous Biden administration.
“Iran continues to rely on a shadowy network of vessels, shippers, and brokers to facilitate its oil sales and fund its destabilizing activities,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.
“The United States will use all our available tools to target all aspects of Iran’s oil supply chain, and anyone who deals in Iranian oil exposes themselves to significant sanctions risk,” he added.
The new sanctions target oil brokers in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, tanker operators and managers in India and China, the head of Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company, and the Iranian Oil Terminals Company, Treasury said.
The Iranian Oil Terminals Company oversees all operations at Iran’s oil terminals, including Kharg Island Oil Terminal, through which a majority of Iranian oil flows, and South Pars Condensate Terminal, which accounts for 100 percent of Iran’s gas condensate exports, according to Treasury.
Trump earlier this month had restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive the country’s oil exports to zero, reimposing Washington’s tough policy on Iran that was practiced throughout Trump’s first term.
Oil is a top source of revenue for Iran, and targeting the country’s exports is meant to deny the government funds for its nuclear and missile programs. The move generally prohibits any US individuals or entities from doing any business with the targets and freezes any US-held assets.
Trump had accused his predecessor, President Joe Biden, of failing to rigorously enforce oil-export sanctions.
Despite US sanctions, Tehran’s oil exports brought in $53 billion in 2023 and $54 billion a year earlier, according to US Energy Information Administration estimates.
Output during 2024 was running at its highest level since 2018, based on OPEC data.
Trump had driven Iran’s oil exports to near-zero during part of his first term after re-imposing sanctions, but they rebounded under Biden’s White House tenure as Iran succeeded in evading sanctions.
It is unclear if Trump’s measures will push Iran’s exports back down significantly.
China does not recognize US sanctions and Chinese firms buy the most Iranian oil. China and Iran have built a trading system that uses mostly Chinese yuan and a network of middlemen, avoiding the dollar and exposure to US regulators.
The Paris-based International Energy Agency believes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other OPEC members have spare capacity to make up for any lost exports from Iran, also an OPEC member.
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