Joseph Fiennes reflected on the time he was cast to portray Michael Jackson's role in an episode of "Urban Myths" in 2017, saying it was a "wrong call" for him.
The Sky Arts' anthology series "Urban Myths" offered episodes based on real-life stories of celebrities, including Jackson. In one episode, Fiennes was selected to play the role of the late King of Pop, but the actor has since expressed his regret over his decision.
Why Joseph Fiennes Thinks Playing Michael Jackson's Role Was "Wrong Call"
Fiennes shared his thoughts in an interview with The Guardian, saying that getting the role in "Urban Myths" was a bad mistake.
He was referring to the episode about Jackson having a post-9/11 trip with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. Far from what they expected, the show and Fiennes garnered condemnation for whitewashing as the actor had a lighter skin tone than the late singer and he used a prosthetic nose to do the character.
While he admitted to being part of those decisions, Fiennes reportedly realized he also have to become the "voice for other people."
"I would love them to be around the table as well to talk about it," he continued. "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."
Due to the extreme backlash, Sky pulled the episode and announced in the press release before the scheduled broadcast that it would no longer show it. It stated, according to NBC News, that the decision was due to the concerns expressed by Jackson's family.
On the other hand, Jackson's daughter Paris said at that time on Twitter that the episode made her want to vomit.
Joseph Fiennes Originally Defended "Urban Myths" Casting
In his recent interview, Fiennes disclosed that he asked the broadcaster to pull the episode, noting that they underwent heavy discussions until they let people decide on whether to show it or not.
However, the actor originally defended his role and casting, saying that he knew Jackson had an issue with his skin pigmentation. He also said that the "Thriller" hitmaker's color was closer to his color than the singer's original complexion.
With the experience, Fiennes revealed that his new outlook is now more in line with the singer's desire not to be ever portrayed by a white actor, as quoted by Billboard.
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