White British actor Joseph Fiennes recently expressed regret over playing pop star Michael Jackson in an episode of a U.K TV show that never aired.
Fiennes, the brother of actor Ralph Fiennes, told British outlet The Observer that playing the African American pop star was the "wrong decision" and claimed that people are "right to be upset."
The episode of Sky Arts’ 2017 series "Urban Myths" never made it to air due to concern from the Jackson family and others over its depiction of the music legend.
During his recent interview, Fiennes stated, "I think people are absolutely right to be upset. 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."
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He continued, "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."
Titled "Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon," the episode centered on a rumored road trip taken by Marlon Brando, played by Brian Cox, and Elizabeth Taylor, played by Stockard Channing, along with Fiennes’ version of the King of Pop.
A trailer ahead of the episode generated outrage among the public, who slammed Fiennes’ lighter skin tone and the prosthetic nose he employed to attempt to bring the "Thriller" star to life.
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At the time, Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson blasted the episode, saying, "It honestly makes me want to vomit."
After the backlash from the trailer, Sky pulled the episode from the series before it aired, offering a statement saying, "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," the statement added.
Initially, Fiennes defended his performance from critics, claiming that the "King of Pop" "definitely had an issue–a pigmentation issue–and that’s something I do believe. He was probably closer to my color than his original color."
Though after seeing the mounting pushback to the episode, he admitted he helped convince the network not to broadcast it.
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Fiennes told The Observer, "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."
