Michael Jackson said he never wanted a white actor to play him on screen.
Joseph Fiennes’ controversial casting as Michael Jackson in the upcoming TV movie, Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon, may have the king of pop actually turning over in his grave.
According to a newly resurfaced interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson once told Oprah that he didn’t want a white actor to portray him on screen.
In the resurfaced interview from February 10, 1993, Michael Jackson talked about rumors that he wanted a “little white boy” to play him in a Pepsi commercial.
“That is so stupid,” Jackson adamantly said. “That’s the most ridiculous, horrifying story I’ve ever heard. It’s crazy.”
“Number one, it’s my face as a child in the commercial,” he continued. “Me, when I was little. Why would I want a white child to play me? I’m a black American. I’m proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. … That’s like you [Oprah] wanting an oriental person to play you as a child. Does that make sense?”
You can watch the video below at the 23:45 mark.
ET was able to talk with Fiennes about the casting decision and he said he was surprised casting directors chose him. “I’m a white, middle-class guy from London,” Fiennes exclusively told ET of playing the late music icon. “I’m as shocked as you may be.”
But, he defends their casting decision.
“[Jackson] definitely had an issue — a pigmentation issue — and that’s something I do believe,” the Shakespeare in Love star said. “He was probably closer to my color than his original color.”
“It’s a light comedy look,” Fiennes, 45, added. “It’s not in any way malicious. It’s actually endearing.”
But, the Jackson family isn’t too happy about the new movie. “It’s offensive to me and my family for my uncle Michael to be portrayed in a comedy taking place around 9/11,” TJ Jackson tells ET in a statement. “Like everyone else, he was distraught, saddened and trying to process what had just happened. Following the events of 9/11, my uncle, Michael, stayed with a family friend in New Jersey for a week before flying back. The rest of our family immediately took buses back to Los Angeles as planes were grounded. There was no road trip with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando.”
The Jackson family is not alone. People took to Twitter to bash the casting decision:
how could they cast a WHITE MAN to portray michael jackson.. this is just another case of whitewashing within the film industry.. yikes
— erin (@eerinchristie) January 28, 2016
I’m outraged Joseph Fiennes is playing Michael Jackson. He’s far too dark-skinned. pic.twitter.com/J1UImYCDim
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 28, 2016
“All I wanna say is that they don’t really care about us.” — Michael Jackson https://t.co/wqbhMz3wdO
— ??c???? ??c???? ?? (@MJacksonHD) January 28, 2016
