The release in August of the trailer for "Maestro," a biographical film about Leonard Bernstein, immediately sparked adverse reactions: Bradley Cooper appeared with a prosthetic nose for the lead role. On social media, Cooper, also the film's director, was accused of perpetuating an anti-Semitic cliché with the oversized prosthetic, questioning whether a Jewish actor would have been more careful in his choice of makeup.
Both Cooper and Netflix, the platform on which "Maestro" can be seen since December 20, declined to comment. At the time, Bernstein's three sons, collaborators on the film, defended Cooper in a series of posts on X, claiming that Leonard Bernstein did indeed have a large, noticeable nose.
The Bernstein family did not comment further on the matter. It is not the first time that a prominent nose on screen has sparked controversy.
Here are 12 of the most memorable false noses in film history, ordered by size, from thinnest to most exaggerated.
Orson Welles in "Thirst for Evil" showed an obsession with his nose, which he considered too small. Instead of channeling this concern in a positive way, he wore numerous prosthetics throughout his career. One of his greatest came in the role of corrupt Captain Hank Quinlan in the 1958 thriller, "Thirst for Evil."
Nicole Kidman, in "The Hours," played Virginia Woolf with an emotional performance, enhanced by a prosthetic nose that Denzel Washington joked helped her win the best actress Oscar. Kidman wore a different prosthesis each day of filming.
Rudolph, in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," is a classic example. In this 1964 special, Rudolph's father Donner was trying to help his son fit in at school with a fake nose made of clay.
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady" won an Oscar (her third) for her role as Margaret Thatcher, thanks in part to the prosthetic nose she wore, so subtle that it went unnoticed in the first photos of the shoot.
Laurence Olivier in "Richard III" (1955), which he also directed, did not wear nasal prostheses out of insecurity about his appearance, but as part of a wide set of accessories to transform himself into various characters. His nose in this film was described as "majestically prominent."
Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz" was known for her large nose, which her father even suggested she surgically alter. In the 1939 film, she played the Wicked Witch of the West with an even longer, greener nose.
Matt Damon in "Ocean's Thirteen" wore a prosthetic nose, nicknamed "The Brody," for his character Linus, in an attempt to disguise himself and access a briefcase full of diamonds.
Steve Carell in "Foxcatcher" transformed his look with a prosthetic nose to play John du Pont, a millionaire wrestling fan turned murderer, in a 2014 true story.
Ralph Fiennes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" played the villain Voldemort with a characterization that included the absence of a nose, looking more like a snake.
Alec Guinness in "Oliver Twist" (1948) played Fagin, a clearly anti-Semitic character from Charles Dickens, with a large hook-shaped nasal prosthesis, which generated controversy and criticism for insensitivity.
Billy Crystal in "The Princess Bride" (1987) added humor to his character Miracle Max with a bulbous nose, causing uncontrollable laughter on the set.
Steve Martin in "Roxanne" (1987) wore a 12-centimeter nasal prosthesis, which was applied daily for 90 minutes and removed in 2 minutes. Martin expressed his distaste for the prosthesis in an interview with the Washington Post.
