Bradley Cooper Portrays Music Legend Leonard Bernstein in 'Maestro': Early Screening at the KCET Cinema Series

Bradley Cooper, who also directed, co-wrote, and produced "Maestro," plays celebrated composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. The film follows Bernstein from his unexpected Carnegie Hall debut to the autumn years of his life. It's Cooper's second film as a director, after 2018's luscious remake of "A Star Is Born." He took on the responsibility of portraying Bernstein with excitement and gratitude. "'In A Star Is Born,' the nuclear weapon was always Lady Gaga's voice," said Cooper. "For 'Maestro' I figured it was mine to mess up because I had a nuclear weapon and that's Leonard Bernstein's music. Just the breadth of it, how diverse it is, and how moving it is."

Immediately following the screening, Deadline's chief film critic Pete Hammond, who can also be seen on KCET's Must See Movies, moderated a Q&A with co-stars Carey Mulligan and Matt Bomer.

Listen to the full Q&A from the screening below.