How ‘Maestro’ Prosthetics Artist Kazu Hiro Transformed Bradley Cooper’s Nose, Neck and Chin to Play Leonard Bernstein (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Bradley Cooper had a problem. The Oscar-nominated actor was gearing up to play Leonard Bernstein, the musical genius behind “West Side Story” and “Candide” and one of the driving cultural forces of the 20th century.
Except, Cooper looked nothing like the distinctive composer and conductor. Enter Guillermo del Toro. The two men discussed Cooper’s predicament on the set of del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” which the actor starred in while working to get “Maestro,” his look at the private life of Bernstein, off the ground.
Cooper confessed that he needed to be transformed, and according to del Toro, only one person was right for the job: Kazu Hiro.
The Oscar-winning makeup artist had used his gift for prosthetics to transform Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill in “The Darkest Hour.” When Cooper sent Hiro a text asking if he was interested, he jumped at the chance.
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