Maestro producer responds to controversy over Carey Mulligan's casting
Even before Netflix’s Maestro was released in theaters last month, it had already been hit by two controversies.
From the first look images and trailers alone, much had been made of star Bradley Cooper’s prosthetic nose, which he wore to portray Leonard Bernstein. The legendary composer and conductor was Jewish, with some commentators criticizing the use of the prosthetic as problematic. Cooper himself, who also directs Maestro, responded to the debate, telling CBS Mornings that whilst he did initially consider not using the nose, his appearance as Bernstein "just didn’t look right" without it.
The other controversy meanwhile surrounds the casting of Carey Mulligan as Bernstein’s wife Felicia Montealegre, a famous Chilean-American actor who was born in Costa Rica. Several people online have criticized the decision to have the British actor Mulligan portray the notable actor, who plays a central role in Maestro as it focuses on the couple’s marriage.
When GamesRadar+ asks the film’s producer Kristie Macosko Krieger about the backlash, she emphasizes that Mulligan was approved by Bernstein’s family, which justifies the choice for the filmmaking team: "She got the approval of the family and that for us, we were doing it right."
"It was Bradley’s idea to cast her and we agreed. I think she’s a national treasure and whilst she’s always been great, this material allowed her to go deeper, to give a beautifully nuanced performance. She knew how to be the rock at the center of the movie – in some ways she’s actually the maestro.”
Bernstein’s daughters are also full of praise for Mulligan, with Nina telling us she was blown away by the actor’s accomplishment in playing their mother: "She’s incredible – especially as she didn’t
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