Joseph Fiennes has admitted that his decision to play Michael Jackson in a Sky Arts show was a ‘bad mistake’.
Fiennes was set to star alongside Brian Cox and Stockard Channing in a show called Urban Myths that dramatised and poked fun at celebrity stories.
The series was broadly a success, starring a diverse cast that included Eddie Marsan, Paul Ritter, Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, Noel Clarke, Aiden Gillen, and Iwan Rheon, who played Adolf Hitler.
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However – even with one of history's greatest monsters on the list of characters - it was the episode about Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando (Cox), and Elizabeth Taylor (Channing) that attracted the most attention.
The ‘Urban Myth’ in question here was a road trip that purportedly took place involving the three stars in post-9/11 America.
The problem – quite rightly – was the decision to cast Fiennes as Jackson, despite the fact that he’s a white man.
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What’s more, Fiennes wore a prosthetic nose to look like the late King of Pop, who was a controversial figure anyway, regardless of this show.
Now, Fiennes has said that the outrage was pretty well justified, and said that he actually asked the broadcaster to pull the show, following uproar from Jackson’s immediate family, including his daughter, Paris.
In an interview with The Observer, Fiennes said: “I think people are absolutely right to be upset,
“And it was a wrong decision. Absolutely.
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“And I’m one part of that — there are producers, broadcasters, writers, directors, all involved in these decisions.
“But obviously if I’m upfront, 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.”
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At the time, Sky admitted that the show had caused offence, and agreed to pull it before air.
A statement said: “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.
“We set out to take a lighthearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offense.”
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Before that, Paris Jackson had tweeted: "I'm so incredibly offended by it, as I'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit."
Fiennes continued: “And, just to say, I asked the broadcaster to pull it,
“And there were some pretty hefty discussions, but ultimately people made the right choice.”
UNILAD has contacted Sky for a comment.
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity