John Malkovich Pulls Out Of Israel Performance Over False Quote Row

Two-time Oscar-nominated American actor John Malkovich has backed out of a planned performance in Israel next year after clarifying he never approved statements attributed to him in a promotional release issued by the Israeli producer of his show.

Malkovich was slated to return to Israel with his musical theater production The Music Critic. The performance had been fixed for April 13, 2027, at the Tel Aviv Culture Hall. It's a satire with dark humour and musical elements, based on an idea by Russian-German Jewish musician Aleksey Igudesman. A press release on Sept. 5 had quoted Malkovich saying he was “thrilled to return to Israel” and looked “forward to meeting the warm Israeli audience once again, to whom I feel a strong closeness and solidarity.” Now, the Emmy-winning actor has publicly disowned the comments, specifying he never said those things.

“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,” said Malkovich. “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.”

John Malkovich On Cancelling The Music Critic Show

“Throughout my long career,” Malkovich elaborated “I have had the privilege of performing in large parts of the world, in countries with governments whose values or culture I do not share, and before audiences with different beliefs and ideologies. Arriving in places whose worldview may not align with my own has given me the opportunity to observe, listen and learn, and to share my ideas about what makes stories good and what makes music beautiful, and how they can complement each other and illuminate the human condition.”

Malkovich also insisted, “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.”

Malkovich has been to Israel. He went in 2008 as a guest of honor at the Jerusalem Film Festival. He returned in 2013 for a stage performance in The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer at the Eilat International Chamber Music Festival and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Malkovich is getting raves presently for his performance in the British film Wild Horse Nine, written and directed by Martin McDonagh, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.