John Malkovich canceled a 2027 performance of “The Music Critic” in Tel Aviv, Israel after an unauthorized press release falsely attributed quotes to the actor.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Wild Horse Nine” actor was set to star in the satirical theatrical-musical on April 13 of next year at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium. “The Music Critic” is created and written by Russian-German violinist and composer Aleksey Igudesman. In the retracted press release from Sept. 5, Malkovich was said to be “thrilled to return to Israel” and was looking “forward to meeting the warm Israeli audience once again, to whom I feel a strong closeness and solidarity.”
The quotes were first published in The Jerusalem Post, who removed the statement and added the editor’s note saying: “A statement attributed to Malkovich has been removed from the report after confirmation that it was falsely attributed to him. Alon Yurick, the show’s Israeli producer, clarified that the original press release contained an incorrect quote resulting from a misunderstanding and apologized for the error.”
Malkovich canceled the performance after being made aware of the announcement from The Hollywood Reporter.
“A PR company hired by the Israeli promoter drafted a quote for the article that was attributed to me, though I never made the statements that were quoted, nor was I consulted before they were printed,” Malkovich told the outlet on Tuesday. “I did not utter these phrases, and they most certainly are not approved by me, nor do they reflect my feelings. The fact that they were printed as direct quotes from me is unacceptable and untenable. For this reason, I have decided I cannot participate in the Tel Aviv performance.”
“My appearance in any country, even my own, does not constitute approval of said country’s policies, nor actions, nor its elected or unelected leaders,” he added. “My appearances would also not condone nor mean that I am in supposed ‘solidarity’ with any particular political cause, nor with the killing of innocents, nor with any acts of terrorism, nor any other kind of barbarity.”
The actor concluded by explaining he looked “forward to continuing to exercise my artistic freedom” but that “only playwrights, novelists and screenwriters can put words in my mouth, and even then, only in the service of storytelling, and no one else should think they can do that without my consent and without the resultant consequences.”
The Israeli firm who was handling publicity for the the show released an apology for misattributing the quotes to the actor saying, “Mr. Malkovich did not make, provide, authorize or approve this statement, nor was it approved by his representatives. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Malkovich and his representatives for the incorrect attribution and regret that this occurred.” The firm was initially hired by Yurick, the show’s aforementioned Israeli producer.
Representatives for Malkovich did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
You can read the actor’s full statement below:
I was made aware of an article which appeared in The Hollywood Reporter (first published in The Jerusalem Post) announcing a date in Tel Aviv, Israel, for a performance of a piece called “The Music Critic,” one of the numerous classical music collaborations and live theatre performances I have been touring in for nearly two decades and which I have performed in 47 countries at last count. The Tel Aviv date was meant to be one of several touring stops throughout Europe and the Middle East.
A PR company hired by the Israeli promoter drafted a quote for the article that was attributed to me, though I never made the statements that were quoted, nor was I consulted before they were printed. I did not utter these phrases, and they most certainly are not approved by me, nor do they reflect my feelings. The fact that they were printed as direct quotes from me is unacceptable and untenable. For this reason, I have decided I cannot participate in the Tel Aviv performance.
Throughout my long career, I’ve been lucky to perform across a quite wide swath of the world — in countries with governments whose values or culture I do not share and in front of audiences of many differing faiths and ideologies. Traveling to places whose view of the world may not align with mine has given me a chance to observe and to listen and learn and to share my idea of what makes good storytelling and what makes beautiful music and how they can complement each other and illuminate the human condition.
My appearance in any country, even my own, does not constitute approval of said country’s policies, nor actions, nor its elected or unelected leaders. My appearances would also not condone nor mean that I am in supposed “solidarity” with any particular political cause, nor with the killing of innocents, nor with any acts of terrorism, nor any other kind of barbarity.
Generally speaking, I believe that we need more culture and more beauty in more places, not less. Art, at its best, reminds us that the exercise of our shared humanity can and should be a tool to bridge our conflicts and our griefs, our grievances and our sorrows, and that the exercise of artistic freedom is often the greatest form of protest against savagery. I look forward to continuing to exercise my artistic freedom, come what may. However, only playwrights, novelists and screenwriters can put words in my mouth, and even then, only in the service of storytelling, and no one else should think they can do that without my consent and without the resultant consequences.
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