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Michael Jackson to be played by a white actor.

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T

torre_avenue

Banned
Ok, so Sky Arts ordered a TV movie centered around a bizarre rumor that Liz Taylor, Marlon Brando, and Michael Jackson took a roadtrip out of NY after 9/11 happened. This looks like it could be interesting, right?

So, Liz Taylor is being played by Stockard Channing.

Stockard_Channing_2011.jpg
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I can see it...kinda.

Marlon Brando is being played by Brian Cox, presumably not the physicist.
BrianCoxTIFFSept2011.jpg
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It's passable.

Michael Jackson is being played by Joseph Fiennes.

JosephFiennescrop.JPG
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So, GAF, what say you? I'm of two minds on this matter: to me, this feels very weirdly wrong. MJ was black. But, "his skin gradually grew more pale through what was widely considered to be skin bleaching and changing of his features to appear European", so he looked like a white guy. On one hand, it feels weird for a white man to be playing an African-American. But on the other hand, an African-American actor would have to resort to whiteface to portray Jackson. I don't think there's a real solution here, but I'm interested to see what your opinion is on this matter.

I didn't see a discussion on this beforehand searching for Michael Jackson or Joseph Fiennes. Lock if old, please.
 
S

SwiftDeath

Member
torre_avenue said:
On one hand, it feels weird for a white man to be playing an African-American. But on the other hand, an African-American actor would have to resort to whiteface to portray Jackson. I don't think there's a real solution here, but I'm interested to see what your opinion is on this matter.
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Well Weekend-At-Bernie-ing him is probably out of the question.

I guess I'd throw the ball into Michael Jackson's families court and see what they prefer. I assume their permission would be needed to make the movie anyways right?
 
T

torre_avenue

Banned
IMACOMPUTA said:
2/3 images not working :/
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I'll find some mirrors.

NotTheGuyYouKill said:
This project seems so absurd that I'll allow it. This is a comedy right?
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It is supposed to be. Fiennes' whole reaction to this is "It’s a challenge. It’s a comedy…It’s a fun, lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek road trip of what celebrity of that kind is like. But also it’s rather beautiful and poignant about their relationships.”

SwiftDeath said:
Well Weekend-At-Bernie-ing him is probably out of the question.

I guess I'd throw the ball into Michael Jackson's families court and see what they prefer. I assume their permission would be needed to make the movie anyways right?
Click to expand...

I... want to say I don't think so? Or maybe they just haven't heard about it? Or maybe their lawyers are busy writing C&D letters to Sky TV?
 
E

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
Why not just have Latoya Jackson play him they look like they used the same plastic surgeon.
 
J

jwk94

Member
Yeah, I mean he might've been black but at that point in time, he didn't look it. I don't have a problem with this.
 
A

Apt101

Member
yea, kind of a conundrum here. Jackson had transformed himself so much near the end that he didn't really resemble anything. I'd argue that an Asian woman with enough makeup could probably portray him.
 
L

lednerg

Member
This all takes place after 2001, so whatever. It'd be different if it was in the 80's when he didn't have the white skin and thin nose.

Side-note: Diego Luna (sorta) played him in 2007's Mister Lonely, before MJ died.
 
C

Cheesecakebobby

Banned
If they were looking for someone who looks like MJ did at that point in his life I understand why they chose someone white, I just don't understand why they chose someone male.
 
B

brainchild

Banned
Joseph Fiennes? Really? I mean, he's hot as hell, but he doesn't even remotely look like Michael Jackson. Also, he's not that great of an actor (though he was one of the main characters in Flash Forward, so I'll give him props for that).
 
T

torre_avenue

Banned
Einchy said:
You want a black guy in white face?
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Both options are fairly awful. It's either a black guy in white face, or a white guy playing a man who was black but didn't look like it.

But, people are coming up with some creative workarounds in the thread. Revive MJ, revive MJ using CGI, use Prince, cast a white female as Jackson, or just don't make the movie.
 
H

Hazmat

Member
If they put a black actor in whiteface to play a black man that had a white face, is that offensive? I'm leaning towards no, but MJ might be unique in this regard.
 
V

Valhelm

contribute something
Some friends of mine are pretty upset by this.

What's the best solution? Casting a black actor in whiteface?
 
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