Bradley Cooper wore 137 custom prosthetics during the filming of “Maestro.”
The 48-year-old actor, who plays legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein in the film, worked closely with makeup effects expert Kazu Hiro – who won an Oscar for his work with Gary Oldman in Zero Dark Thirty.
Kazu developed four complete sets of prosthetics and two bodysuits to bring the New York Philharmonic music director to life, from the early days of his career in 1943 to the end of his life in 1990.
“In total, I created 137 individual pieces, ranging from small to large,” Hiro told People magazine.
The transformation was not limited to Bernstein’s physical appearance, as Bradley also had a special nose protector that, in addition to changing the shape of the organ, altered its intonations so that his voice could be more similar to that of the music legend.
“Bradley’s transparency and relentless pursuit of perfection were inspiring,” the makeup artist added.
Recently, the actor defended himself from criticism regarding possible stereotypes in facial changes to play the Jewish musician, including being accused of anti-Semitism.
“I thought, ‘Maybe we don’t need to do this because it would save some time on preparation.’ But it’s all about balance and, you know, my lips are nothing like Lenny’s, just like my chin isn’t either,” he said.
The decision to use the characterization was supported by Leonard’s three children, Nina, Jamie and Alexander
“Our father Leonard Bernstein had a big, beautiful nose, and Bradley Cooper chose to wear makeup to amplify his resemblance [com o maestro], and we are perfectly at peace with that (…) We are also sure that our father would be okay with it too. And we had this [a prótese]then it just didn’t feel right [não usá-la]”, they stated.
Watch the trailer for “Maestro”
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
