Joseph Fiennes To Play MJ In 9/11 Programme

It reminded me of those old Hollywood movies where white actors wore makeup to portray black men because it was not acceptable they appeared in the films yet. It looked as tasteless as hell.

Racism is an idiotic concept because biologically speaking there's no such thing as as race, we are all the same kind of specie but it's undeniable socially speaking it still exists and enforced in such high spheres of society like Hollywood.
 
^^Are you talking about blackface? Because that existed before films. It came from vaudeville and some black performers also did that and sang "coon songs" too, which were popular in the early recording industry
 
Just one question... So Michael would refused to play real Charlie Chaplin if he was asked to?
I'm sorry I do not understand all worries about white man playing Michael. Nobody is going to transfer Joseph's nationality or race to the man he's going to play, it opposite thing, Joseph takes MJ features on himself. It is acting, why of all things "colour" can't be played? If it ever matters?
 
^^Are you talking about blackface? Because that existed before films. It came from vaudeville and some black performers also did that and sang "coon songs" too, which were popular in the early recording industry

That does not mean it was ok.
 
Just one question... So Michael would refused to play real Charlie Chaplin if he was asked to?
I'm sorry I do not understand all worries about white man playing Michael. Nobody is going to transfer Joseph's nationality or race to the man he's going to play, it opposite thing, Joseph takes MJ features on himself. It is acting, why of all things "colour" can't be played? If it ever matters?


It is insulting. A black man who went through so much because of something he could not control. Why is so hard for you to see the shade being thrown at Michael and his family? If truly about acting how come Brando and Taylor are being played by white people?
 
^ So Joseph to play Michael is an insult?
Sorry, I just don't think that an intension of this movie is to hurt anyone. Colour as any other individual quality can be played... Yes, Michael went through a lot, but how does white man playing him makes Michael not who he was or questioning anything? That is a movie role.
I understand that there are problems in the industry in general but IMHO, there are more questionable things about this movie that skin colour.

Once Michael said he didn't ask a white kid to play him... Now it's used to show that Michael would not want white man to play him... To say that about the man who all his life tried to break colour lines is too much, IMHO.
 
^ So Joseph to play Michael is an insult?
Sorry, I just don't think that an intension of this movie is to hurt anyone. Colour as any other individual quality can be played... Yes, Michael went through a lot, but how does white man playing him makes Michael not who he was or questioning anything? That is a movie role.
I understand that there are problems in the industry in general but IMHO, there are more questionable things about this movie that skin colour.

Once Michael said he didn't ask a white kid to play him... Now it's used to show that Michael would not want white man to play him... To say that about the man who all his life tried to break colour lines is too much, IMHO.

So Michael, a black man would be totally fine with a white man playing him? The privledge is on display I see
 
To be honest on this and any project I am more concerned with the content and how Michael is portrayed rather than who plays him.

I guess they won't include the fan reports of how concerned Michael was for his fans who were hanging out at his hotel, or the care he reportedly gave to them.

Just seems a bizarre project to me.
 
Joseph Fiennes biggest hit was a movie called Shakespeare in Love written by Tom Stoppard. It imaginatively projected what might have happened between Shakespeare and the character played by Gwyneth Paltrow.Fiennes played Shakespeare which was about as touchy as it gets in Britain, so he is used to controversy. He did an ok job, too. Not earth shattering but it got him noticed. It was an intelligent, well written movie. Gwyneth won her Oscar for her performance. The most important thing about this new movie is who is writing it. Not the race of the characters. Or sex of the characters. Shakespearean women were played by boys for instance. It could either be pretty good or pretty awful depending on the idea behind it. Stoppard wrote another take off on Shakespeare called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Another imaginative offshoot..Was quite good.
Those of you making an issue about a white man playing Jackson need to explain how it was then ok that Michael wanted to play Peter Pan as well as Charlie Chaplin. Not only did MJ look as white as Marilyn Manson by 2001 but my respect for him is tied to his philosophy that color should not matter. (It don't matter if you're black or white...) As Martin Luther King said. In this instance the only issues for me is the quality of the writing and the talent of the performers. I do not care if they are red, yellow, transgender or midgets. They just need to act well and look a bit believable. It's theater and magic. As MJ would have said.

The naivety and ignoramus in this comment is beyond me.
 
Privilege?
Justthefacts, honestly, maybe I don't fully understand something, but I DO feel offended for Michael... The man I see in him would not care about the colour. To be proud of who you are, of your race, doesn't mean to humiliate others.
 
Joseph Fiennes biggest hit was a movie called Shakespeare in Love written by Tom Stoppard. It imaginatively projected what might have happened between Shakespeare and the character played by Gwyneth Paltrow.Fiennes played Shakespeare which was about as touchy as it gets in Britain, so he is used to controversy. He did an ok job, too. Not earth shattering but it got him noticed. It was an intelligent, well written movie. Gwyneth won her Oscar for her performance. The most important thing about this new movie is who is writing it. Not the race of the characters. Or sex of the characters. Shakespearean women were played by boys for instance. It could either be pretty good or pretty awful depending on the idea behind it. Stoppard wrote another take off on Shakespeare called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Another imaginative offshoot..Was quite good.
Those of you making an issue about a white man playing Jackson need to explain how it was then ok that Michael wanted to play Peter Pan as well as Charlie Chaplin. Not only did MJ look as white as Marilyn Manson by 2001 but my respect for him is tied to his philosophy that color should not matter. (It don't matter if you're black or white...) As Martin Luther King said. In this instance the only issues for me is the quality of the writing and the talent of the performers. I do not care if they are red, yellow, transgender or midgets. They just need to act well and look a bit believable. It's theater and magic. As MJ would have said.

Actually us Brits are not that precious over Shakeseare. Lol - the Royal family is another matter. And yes Elizabethan actors were all men as women were not allowed to perform, that is about the only historically factual part of the film. I do like the film though.

And I do get the point you are trying to make in your second paragraph, I wish it didn't matter but it does to many.
 
It would be better with some other actor but doesn't really bother me because I don't see myself ever watching the movie.
 
I suppose Sky Arts, or this production company applied "Colorblind casting" to defend their decision. I do find it funny because that is lame excuse for casting white person to play black person, but does it work the other way round too? Do we get to see black playing white, that still remain to be seen.

The only positive that comes out of this mockery it that MJ interview with Oprah is widely posted in many articles, where he states he is proud being black American, as well Michael's Vitiligo is widely mentioned.

Hopefully that clears out at least some of the peoples misconception of him.

If there ever going to be a movie of Michael, it is bound to be difficult task as Spike mentioned in his Bad25 interview:
Q: Thank you very much for this movie. Would you ever consider making a life movie about Michael?

Spike: That is a very good question, and I’ve never been asked that question before and thank you for it. For me, who would play him? I can’t do it, make someone else will but for me I can’t do it. It’s easier to do a bio pic with someone who is not so recognizable. Michael Jackson is one of the most recognizable people on this planet and whose going to play him? I can’t do it.
 
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Privilege?
Justthefacts, honestly, maybe I don't fully understand something, but I DO feel offended for Michael... The man I see in him would not care about the colour. To be proud of who you are, of your race, doesn't mean to humiliate others.

You don't understand something because you never had to
 
Bubs;4131204 said:
The only positive that comes out of this mockery it that MJ interview with Oprah is widely posted in many articles, where he states he is proud being African-American, as well Michael's Vitiligo is widely mentioned.

Hopefully that clears out at least some of the peoples misconception of him.

The bad thing is that his words misunderstood again… other way round.


And yes, David Bowie to play Andy Warhol is a lifetime opportunity.
 
^ So Joseph to play Michael is an insult?
Sorry, I just don't think that an intension of this movie is to hurt anyone. Colour as any other individual quality can be played... Yes, Michael went through a lot, but how does white man playing him makes Michael not who he was or questioning anything? That is a movie role.
I understand that there are problems in the industry in general but IMHO, there are more questionable things about this movie that skin colour.

Once Michael said he didn't ask a white kid to play him... Now it's used to show that Michael would not want white man to play him... To say that about the man who all his life tried to break colour lines is too much, IMHO.

Breaking colour lines does not mean that MJ ever indicated he was some kind "interrace" person with no particular racial identity. He did always identify as a black man which should be respected. IMO that a white man is cast to play him is probably a part of the "jokes" of this movie. To joke about MJ's racial identity and whether he wanted to be white is old and tired, but that's the smaller issue. You have to be able to see the bigger picture, that is actually bigger than MJ, especially in the light of all the diversity controversy at the Oscars and so on. And no, even if MJ had been cast to play Charlie Chaplin (which he wasn't so it's a bit moot point) it's not exactly the same as a white man being cast to play a black man. The reason why it is not the same has to do with US history and the oppression of black people by white people in that society. Look up blackface, look up the fact that back in the day white people played black roles because black people were oppressed and they weren't allowed to act. And usually when white people played black people it was a caricature, a mocking of black people. And this one too seems to be rather a caricature of MJ. It does remind me a bit of that blackface tradition, even though Fiennes will not actually have to put on a black mask.

This is also the movie industry that cast very European looking white people to play ancient Egyptian royalty (an African country!) while black people were only cast to play slaves and thiefs. This was a big controversy two years ago.

So when a white man is cast to play one of the biggest African-American celebrities, it once again leave a bitter taste behind, to say the least.



Sorry, I just don't think that an intension of this movie is to hurt anyone.

You cannot tell the intention of this movie until you actually see it.
 
You all think its even true?. Its the most ridiculous thing ive read in along time. Sounds like something from april fools day. Fictional film of a fictional event.
 
elusive moonwalker;4131228 said:
You all think its even true?. Its the most ridiculous thing ive read in along time. Sounds like something from april fools day. Fictional film of a fictional event.

Nobody thinks so:) We know it is not true, they know it is not true, but they thought it would be fun to make a program of 9/11 and hoe 3 icons were running off the city. It just shows that what some people finds funny, to other people it is offensive.

Allusio;4131211 said:
The bad thing is that his words misunderstood again… other way round.

And yes, David Bowie to play Andy Warhol is a lifetime opportunity.

What do you meant by the first sentence? How his words are misunderstood?
-------------------
David B playing Andy W is norm, Joseph F playing Michael is norm, but Jamie Foxx playing David B is not, thats what I was trying to say with my mentioning colour blind casting.
 
Marlon Brando Estate ?@MarlonBrando 18h18 hours ago
Although this story may be entertaining and imaginative, it is absolutely 100% fabricated.... http://fb.me/4eDLr4u8D
 
Joseph Fiennes 'shocked' to be cast as Michael Jackson

Joseph Fiennes has admitted he was "shocked" to be cast as Michael Jackson in a TV programme for Sky Arts.

The actor plays the singer in the comedy about a supposed road trip taken by Jackson, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor after the 9/11 terror attacks.

Some fans have reacted angrily to the casting, but Fiennes said he thought Jackson was "probably closer to my colour than his original colour".

Sky Arts said producers had "creative freedom" in the casting.

Fiennes said he believed Jackson - who died in 2009 - had a "pigmentation issue" with his skin, so the issue of race should not come into play.

But he told Entertainment Tonight: "I'm a white, middle-class guy from London - I'm as shocked [about the casting] as you might be.

"It's a light comedy look. It's not in any way malicious. It's actually endearing. And the more I actually looked at Michael - it's great, as an actor, to have so much to copy and look at in interviews - the more I kind of fell in love with him."

Describing the plot of the 30-minute programme - titled Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon - Fiennes said: "Michael and two of his best buddies, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando, happened to be in New York the night before 9/11.

"It was a concert Michael was giving, and Brando was introducing him on stage.

"I don't know if this is an urban legend or if it's true, but the three of them couldn't get out because air space was shut down, so the three of them jumped in a car and went on a road trip."

Stockard Channing, who is best known for her roles in TV drama The West Wing and musical film Grease, is playing Taylor in the comedy with Scottish actor Brian Cox starring as Brando.

There has been a backlash on Twitter to the casting, with some using the hashtag #whitewashing and others claiming they thought the story was actually from satirical magazine The Onion.

CNN entertainment reporter Chris Witherspoon posted a 1993 Jackson interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which he discussed rumours he had wanted a white child to play him in a TV commercial, telling the presenter: "Why would I want a white child to play me? I'm a black American (...) I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am."

Angela Bassett, who played Tina Turner in biopic What's Love Got to Do With It, joked on Twitter she had "ordered violet contacts" and was "ready" to play Taylor after Sleepy Hollow star Orlando Jones suggested she play the actress.

The story about the road trip first came to light in a 2011 Vanity Fair article, which quoted a former employee of Jackson as saying: "They actually got as far as Ohio - all three of them, in a car they drove themselves!"

Brando was said to have annoyed his friends by wanting to stop at nearly every fast food restaurant they passed on the way.

But one of Taylor's assistants dismissed the claims, saying the star had actually stayed in New York and visited Ground Zero in the days after the attack.

The comedy will be broadcast later this year as part of a series on unlikely stories from the history of arts and culture.

A Sky Arts spokesman said: "Sky Arts gives producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set."

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35427381

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Nice words there from Joseph.

I may be in the minority here, but I have no problem with a film being made of this probable urban myth. I'd love it to be true!! It's a nice story to have as a piece of fiction and I have no issue with a white man playing him. MJ looked white in 2001 - FACT. At least Feinnes knows it was a skin disorder. This makes it worthwhile doing as it will get the message out there.

Obviously I hope he is portrayed well & judging by the comments below, he will be.

Fiennes said he believed Jackson - who died in 2009 - had a "pigmentation issue" with his skin, so the issue of race should not come into play.



But he told Entertainment Tonight: "I'm a white, middle-class guy from London - I'm as shocked [about the casting] as you might be.

"It's a light comedy look. It's not in any way malicious. It's actually endearing. And the more I actually looked at Michael - it's great, as an actor, to have so much to copy and look at in interviews - the more I kind of fell in love with him."
 
I honestly don't even know how to wrap my mind around this to make a unbiased and fair judgment... I read the topic of the movie, and just don't know how I am supposed to digest this.. I guess all I can say is I'll see what comes of it I guess.
 
What do you meant by the first sentence? How his words are misunderstood?
-------------------
David B playing Andy W is norm, Joseph F playing Michael is norm, but Jamie Foxx playing David B is not, thats what I was trying to say with my mentioning colour blind casting.

I'm fine with Jamie to play David.

By mentioning David and Andy, I was trying to say that to play someone like Michael is actually mission impossible for anyone, black or white and Andy was just lucky one. We may not see the "right" person for MJ around next 100 years.

As for the misunderstanding. I'm sorry, I wrote explanation but after all I found that it can sound disrespectful... So I edited the post. Let just say some people interpretate Michael's words wrong.
 
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blackface

That does not mean it was ok.
Who said it was ok? I just stated information, I didn't add any commentary to it. If you watch old westerns, many of them had white actors playing Cherokees & other Native Americans. More recently Johnny Depp played Tonto in the Long Ranger, when on the original show, he was played by Jay Silverheels, an actual Native American, which was not that common for a lead actor in the 1950s. John Wayne played a real person from Chinese history (Genghis Khan) in The Conqueror. The detective Charlie Chan was also played by white actors. Elizabeth Taylor herself played Cleopatra and Marlon Brando played a Japanese in The Teahouse Of The August Moon.
 
I'm fine with Jamie to play David.

By mentioning David and Andy, I was trying to say that to play someone like Michael is actually mission impossible for anyone, black or white and Andy was just lucky one. We may not see the "right" person for MJ around next 100 years.

As for the misunderstanding. I'm sorry, I wrote explanation but after all I found that it can sound disrespectful... So I edited the post. Let just say some people interpretate Michael's words wrong.

No worries.
I suppose any movie of MJ is going to cause uproar, thus I think the estate is better start doing bio/movie like Marley.

I think you are right about interpretation, Michael didn't want to be defined by colour but he identified himself as black and that might be root of the misunderstanding all around.
 
Allusio;4131253 said:
I'm fine with Jamie to play David.
So you're saying white actors can play Louis Farrakhan? How does that work with Yakub and the Mothership? :rofl: Although the creator of NOI Wallace Fard, is white. Some white people were talking about boycotting the new Star Wars movie because a lead was black. I guess they forgot about Billy Dee Williams. There was also a fuss about Quvenzhané Wallis in Annie and Amandla Stenberg in Hunger Games.
 
respect77;4131215 said:
Breaking colour lines does not mean that MJ ever indicated he was some kind "interrace" person with no particular racial identity. He did always identify as a black man which should be respected. IMO that a white man is cast to play him is probably a part of the "jokes" of this movie. To joke about MJ's racial identity and whether he wanted to be white is old and tired, but that's the smaller issue. You have to be able to see the bigger picture, that is actually bigger than MJ, especially in the light of all the diversity controversy at the Oscars and so on. And no, even if MJ had been cast to play Charlie Chaplin (which he wasn't so it's a bit moot point) it's not exactly the same as a white man being cast to play a black man. The reason why it is not the same has to do with US history and the oppression of black people by white people in that society. Look up blackface, look up the fact that back in the day white people played black roles because black people were oppressed and they weren't allowed to act. And usually when white people played black people it was a caricature, a mocking of black people. And this one too seems to be rather a caricature of MJ. It does remind me a bit of that blackface tradition, even though Fiennes will not actually have to put on a black mask.

This is also the movie industry that cast very European looking white people to play ancient Egyptian royalty (an African country!) while black people were only cast to play slaves and thiefs. This was a big controversy two years ago.

So when a white man is cast to play one of the biggest African-American celebrities, it once again leave a bitter taste behind, to say the least.

Thank you for the explanation.
I thought to be played by white actor is different from being portrayed as a white man.

DuranDuran;4131266 said:
So you're saying white actors can play Louis Farrakhan? How does that work with Yakub and the Mothership? :rofl: Although the creator of NOI Wallace Fard, is white. Some white people were talking about boycotting the new Star Wars movie because a lead was black. I guess they forgot about Billy Dee Williams. There was also a fuss about Quvenzhané Wallis in Annie and Amandla Stenberg in Hunger Games.

I said what I meant ;)

Don't really get Star Wars boycotting and other fuss you've mentioned. Haven't heard of it before actually :-/
 
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"[Jackson] definitely had an issue -- a pigmentation issue -- and that's something I do believe," he explained. "He was probably closer to my color than his original color." - Joseph Fiennes

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...ckson-controversy_us_56aa13f0e4b0d82286d4faf9
the color of the skin has absolutely nothing to do with it. Michael was still black, no matter if his skin was yellow, green or any other color. and who cares about what that guy believes? facts are not a question about whether you believe them or not. facts are facts. and that's a FACT
 
Video
Jackson Family Blasts Michael Jackson-Inspired Comedy Starring Joseph Fiennes as the King of Pop: 'It's Offensive' http://et.tv/1PFPv1B
http://www.etonline.com/news/180998...michael_jackson_inspired_comedy_it_offensive/

The Best of Internet -New York Daily News retweetet
Another miracle. A tabloid doing the right thing #michaeljackson
CZxsSAxW0AA_Dk2.jpg

New York Daily News @NYDailyNews

An early look at tomorrow's cover:
P. WHITE. T. - Fiennes cast to play King of Pop
http://nydn.us/1ScC35N

TJ Jackson ?@tjjackson

Thank you. A comedy around 9/11 is disrespectful to all of us effected by the tragedy. Who green lights this stuff?
Susan Grant@SusanGr26156246
@etnow @tjjackson Way to go!! I hate when Hollywood makes a movie that is not true... Especially about MJ. Good job squashing the story!

billboard ?@billboard

Michael Jackson once told Oprah a white actor playing him would be "horrifying" http://blbrd.cm/GCWCV8
 
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