Leonard Bernstein is regarded as one of the biggest influences on American music since the 1940s. Bernstein completely redefined American classical music with his innovative style. The 2023 film Maestro is based on the life of the legendary musician.
Speaking of the film, it stars Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein, along with Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre. While Cooper was believed to be the perfect casting choice for the film, many had their doubts about Mulligan.
Also Read: Maestro Venice Film Festival Review – Bradley Cooper is a Certified Talented Filmmaker
Carey Mulligan was Unsure of Her Acting Skills Before Featuring in Maestro With Bradley Cooper
Over the course of her acting career, Carey Mulligan has delivered many memorable performances. In fact, she has two Academy Awards nominations under her name for An Education and Drive. Although she’s yet to win an Academy Award in her career, it’s still an honor to be nominated twice.
Anyway, coming back to her role in Maestro, Mulligan revealed in an interview with Variety about her insecurity of not being a ‘proper actor.’
This might sound like sort of therapy now, but I didn’t go to drama school. I didn’t train. I just started acting when I was 18 and got into it. But there was a part of me that always felt like I wasn’t a proper actor. There was a part of me as an actor that always felt like, “Well, I’m never going to be one of those actors that keeps their dialect in between takes.” There was a part of me that was slightly held back, or maybe nervous of completely committing to something.
Mulligan had her fair share of doubts about playing Bernstein’s wife in the movie. While the 38-year-old doubted her acting skills, most fans loved her performance in the film.
However, one thing that did feel weird for them was casting a British woman to play the role of a Hispanic woman in the film. Sure, Mulligan nailed the role, but a much better casting choice would have been to go ahead with a Hispanic actor.
Bradley Cooper Gave Confidence to Carey Mulligan in Maestro
Apart from portraying the legendary Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, Bradley Cooper also sits in the director’s chair. Evidently, he had to ensure that the entire cast felt comfortable playing their roles.
As Mulligan revealed earlier, she was doubtful about her roots as an actor before portraying Felicia Montealegre in the 2023 biographical drama. However, the actor explained how Cooper’s ultimatum ultimately helped her in delivering a performance of a lifetime.
But that was what Bradley asked, basically, at the beginning of the process. He was like, “If you’re going to do this, you just have to fully, fully do it.” When he said that, I was like, “OK, I’m going to absolutely do it all.” I’m going to do all the research. I’m going to do all the dialect stuff. I’m going to do everything, so that when I get on set, I am 100% able to just feel like I’m onstage and have that sense of “I don’t remember what happened.”
Looking at how Bradley Cooper helped Carey Mulligan gain confidence in herself may not get enough credit. But helping fellow actors out of a slump is an underrated skill for any successful director.
All things considered, Cooper’s trust helped Mulligan deliver an amazing performance in the movie. It could even lead to Mulligan earning the third Academy Award nomination of her career.
But can she win the first Oscar award of her successful career? Well, only time will tell. Maestro arrives on streaming giant Netflix on December 20, 2023.
