Backlash Against Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ Nose Is an ‘Annoying Distraction,’ Says Leonard Bernstein’s Daughter: Haters ‘Were Just Waiting to Pounce’

variety.com:

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jamie Bernstein, the eldest daughter of famed composer Leonard Bernstein, is defending Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of the music icon in the upcoming Netflix movie “Maestro,” which world premieres Sept.

2 at the Venice Film Festival. Cooper, who directed the film and stars as Bernstein, has come under fire in recent weeks due to his decision to wear a prosthetic nose.

He worked with Oscar winner Kazu Hiro (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Darkest Hour”) to create the controversial prosthetic. “It’s just such an annoying distraction,” Jamie Bernstein told Vanity Fair about the backlash. “The people who were waiting to get mad about something were just waiting to pounce.” Jamie, along with her siblings Alexander and Nina, released a joint statement defending Cooper’s nose prosthetic shortly after Netflix debuted the first “Maestro” trailer, which accelerated the controversy. “Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father,” the three Bernstein children said. “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.