Earlier this week, Joseph Fiennes made headlines after it was reported the actor will be portraying Michael Jackson in an upcoming British TV movie.
Fans of the King of Pop were a bit surprised to find out that a white British guy would be playing MJ, and Fiennes himself admits:
“I’m a white, middle-class guy from London. I’m as shocked as you may be.”
The 9/11 road trip movie Elizabeth, Michael, and Marlon is a “light tongue-and-cheek look” at an urban legend that appeared in a May 2011 Vanity Fair article.
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The story takes place right before September 11, 2001, when Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Thriller singer were at Jackson’s 30th anniversary concert special at Madison Square Garden the night before the terrorist attacks.
And because they couldn’t get a flight out of New York City, all three decided to rent a car and take a road trip together!
Brian Cox is playing Brando and Stockard Channing takes on the role of Taylor in the Sky Arts production.
Though the Shakespeare In Love actor realizes he might get some heat for playing an African American, especially now that Hollywood is currently speaking out on the lack of opportunity given to minority talent, the 45-year-old doesn’t think he’s a bad casting choice for the role!
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He explained:
“[Jackson] 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.”
But Fiennes did have some reservations about playing MJ at first, admitting he wanted the production to make him look more like the music icon! He added:
“I was like, ├óΓé¼╦£Wait a minute, I think someone’s got this wrong. I mean, really?’ The budget was too low to do prosthetics or anything, so it literally is straight-forward makeup. And it’s really saying, ├óΓé¼╦£Look, audiences, it’s tongue-in-cheek.’ No one’s trying to do an exact impersonation, but it’s just a sense of the fun of the road trip. If it did happen, maybe it happened like this. That’s all it is, a lighthearted take.”
Well, this film has certainly got our attention now!
We wonder how the half-hour comedy will be received when it airs on Sky Arts!
Will U be watching? Hate-watching? Rubbernecking?? Ha!
[Image via WENN.]
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