John Malkovich cancels Tel Aviv show over fabricated quote

John Malkovich will not perform in Tel Aviv next April after a public relations firm fabricated a quote attributed to him. The 72-year-old actor was scheduled to appear in the theatrical-musical satire The Music Critic at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium on April 13.

A press release circulated on September 5 quoted Malkovich as saying he was "thrilled to return to Israel" and felt a "strong closeness and solidarity" with its audience. Malkovich told the Hollywood Reporter he first saw the quotes in its publication, which had picked them up from the Jerusalem Post. He stated a PR company hired by the Israeli promoter had drafted the quote without his consultation or approval.

"I did not utter these phrases, and they most certainly are not approved by me, nor do they reflect my feelings," Malkovich said in his September 8 statement. "The fact that they were printed as direct quotes from me is unacceptable and untenable."

The involved PR firm admitted the error. It released an apology for "incorrectly" attributing the quotes to Malkovich, confirming he did not make, provide, authorize, or approve the statement.

Distancing from political endorsement

In his lengthy statement, Malkovich used the incident to distance his artistic work from political endorsement. He said he has performed in many countries whose governments hold values he does not share. His appearance in any nation, he clarified, does not constitute approval of that country's policies, actions, or 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," he wrote.

A history of apolitical stance

The actor has a long-stated aversion to political alignment. In a 2011 interview, he described himself as not a "political person" who lacked "an ideology" and had not voted since 1972. His last visit to Israel was in 2013 for a stage performance. He was a guest of honour at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2008.

Past controversial comments also surfaced in the report. In 2002, speaking at the Cambridge Union, Malkovich said the two people he'd most like to kill were journalist Robert Fisk and politician George Galloway. Some observers at the time speculated the remark about Galloway was linked to the then-MP's call for a Scottish boycott of Israeli goods the previous month. Malkovich did not elaborate on those comments.

Upholding artistic freedom

Malkovich concluded his statement with a firm boundary regarding his voice. "I look forward to continuing to exercise my artistic freedom, come what may," he said. He stipulated that only writers of fiction can put words in his mouth, and only in service of storytelling. "No one else should think they can do that without my consent and without the resultant consequences."

The actor is currently a leading Oscar contender for his role in Martin McDonagh's film Wild Horse Nine, where he plays a terminally ill CIA agent. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.