Joseph Fiennes has expressed regret over playing Michael Jackson on TV, describing it as a “bad mistake”.
Fiennes, 53, played the late pop star in an episode of the Sky Arts anthology series Urban Myths in 2017. The episode was never broadcast, with Fiennes claiming he petitioned Sky to pull the episode.
Following the format of the series, the episode, titled “Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon”, retold a possibly apocraphal “urban myth” involving well-known celebrities. The story in question saw Jackson embark on a trip with The Godfather star Marlon Brando (Brian Cox) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf actor Elizabeth Taylor in the aftermath of 9/11.
When the trailer for the episode was first released, the casting of Fiennes, a white actor, in the role of Jackson provoked a strong backlash.
Jackson, who was Black, was diagnosed with vitiligo, a condition in which white patches develop on skin due to a deficiency of melanin. Towards the end of his life, he had a pale complexion, though he denied rumours that he had been purposefully lightening his skin using bleaching products and cosmetic surgery.
Back when Fiennes was cast in Urban Myths, he defended the project against the criticisms, arguing that Jackson was “probably closer to my colour than his original colour” at the time the story was set. His appearance in the series also incorporated a prosthetic nose.
Speaking to The Observer in a new interview, Fiennes reflected on the controversy.
“I think people are absolutely right to be upset,” he said. “And it was a wrong decision. Absolutely. And I’m one part of that — there are producers, broadcasters, writers, directors, all involved in these decisions.
“But obviously if I’m up front, I have become the voice for other people. I would love them to be around the table as well to talk about it. But you know, it came at a time where there was a movement and a shift and that was good, and it was, you know, a bad call. A bad mistake.”
Back in 2017, Sky issued a statement confirming that the episode would not be airing, alluding to criticism from Jackson’s daughter Paris. Referring to the episode, Paris had tweeted: “It honestly makes me want to vomit.”
“We have taken the decision not to broadcast ‘Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon,’ a half-hour episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family,” Sky said. “We set out to take a lighthearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offense.”
In the interview, Fiennes added: “And, just to say, I asked the broadcaster to pull it. There were some pretty hefty discussions, but ultimately people made the right choice.”
Jackson, the best-selling hitmaker behind songs such as “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”, faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime. The allegations, which Jackson denied, made him a controversial figure throughout his life, and have continued to shape his legacy since his death in 2009.
Elsewhere in the interview, Fiennes alleged that disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein once threatened to end his career as a “bullying tactic”.
