Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in a trailer for “Maestro.” Photo: YouTube screenshot

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.