‘Maestro’ Makeup Designer Kazu Hiro Responds to Bradley Cooper Nose Backlash: ‘I Wasn’t Expecting That to Happen’
variety.comEllise Shafer “Maestro” makeup designer Kazu Hiro responded to backlash over Bradley Cooper’s nose prosthetic in the upcoming film, in which he portrays iconic conductor Leonard Bernstein. “I wasn’t expecting that to happen… I feel sorry that I hurt some people’s feelings,” Hiro said. “My goal was and Bradley’s goal was to portray Lenny as authentic as possible.
Lenny had a really iconic look that everybody knows — there’s so many pictures out there because he’s photogenic, too — such a great person and also inspired so many people.
So we wanted to respect the look too, on the inside. So that’s why we did several different tests and went through lots of decisions and that was the outcome of the movie.” Cooper, who also directed the film, has been the subject of criticism in recent weeks for the decision to wear a prosthetic nose, which some deemed a stereotypical or inauthentic portrayal of Jewish people.
Bernstein’s daughter, Jamie Bernstein — who was also present at the press conference on Saturday — defended Cooper’s use of the prosthetic in an interview with Vanity Fair. “It’s just such an annoying distraction,” Bernstein told Vanity Fair.
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