Leonard Bernstein’s three children defended actor/director Bradley Cooper after he drew fresh criticism for wearing a large prosthetic nose in his portrayal of the American composer and conductor, who was Jewish, in the coming movie “Maestro.” When the makeup was first revealed last year, some questioned the decision by Cooper, who is not Jewish, to play Bernstein, who died in 1990. The debut of a teaser trailer prompted further discussion on social media about both the prosthesis, which critics said played into an antisemitic trope, and about whether an actor who is Jewish would have been a better choice to play Bernstein, the “West Side Story” composer and music director of the New York Philharmonic.

In a series of posts, the Bernstein children said that Cooper had consulted with them, pointing out that their father had a big nose and that the makeup amplified the resemblance.

“Maestro” premieres in September at the Venice Film Festival and in October at the New York Film Festival. A theatrical release in the United States will follow in November before a December debut on Netflix.