Does Hollywood have a 'Jewface' problem? Why Bradley Cooper's new movie is attracting controversy.

Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.
(Jason McDonald/Netflix)

Cooper plays Jewish American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro."

Five years after A Star Is Born scored eight Oscar nominations, Bradley Cooper is back in the awards race with Netflix's Maestro — his sophomore effort as a director-star, as well as his second movie set in the music world. This time, the actor plays a real-life music titan, Jewish American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, whose storied career included writing the music for West Side Story and wielding the baton at the New York Philharmonic.

Netflix clearly has high hopes for Maestro's Oscar chances. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, followed by stops at the New York Film Festival and AFI Fest, with a theatrical release planned for Nov. 22 and a streaming premiere on Dec. 20. But Maestro's trip along the awards circuit has been trailed by controversy over Cooper's choice to wear a prominent prosthetic nose as Bernstein, which has stirred a long-simmering debate in Hollywood over "Jewface" — the term used to describe non-Jews being cast as Jewish characters, particularly when negative stereotypes are involved.

By Ethan Alter.

Full story at Yahoo News