Joseph Fiennes was recently tapped to play Michael Jackson on the upcoming comedy feature "Elizabeth, Michael & Marion." Since he is white and Jackson is black, it appears that this is one of the most intriguing casting announcements this year. And Fiennes has something to say about this.
With much controversy going on in Oscar's alleged lack of diversity, Fiennes' casting seems to throw a different tenor from those who are calling for more diverse color representation in Hollywood.
The Root, in a report, asked an interesting question: "How in the world did anyone cast a white guy to play the King of Pop, who was undeniably black, despite his vitiligo issues?"
Fiennes, the "Shakespeare in Love" actor, is now explaining why he was chosen for the part. He described the feature film as a "light tongue-and-cheek look" at the three famous icons. He revealed that he was also surprised that he was the one chosen by the producers.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, he said "I'm a white, middle-class guy from London. I'm as shocked as you may be."
"[Jackson] definitely had an issue -- a pigmentation issue -- and that's something I do believe," Fiennes explained. "He was probably closer to my color than his original color," he added.
What is the mind of Jackson about this? Even if he's not here anymore, it would be interesting to note what his take on this situation would be like.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993, Jackson emphasized that even with his case of vitiligo, he is still a black man.
"It's my face as a child in the commercial," Jackson said. "Me when I was little. Why would I want a white child to play me?" he asked during the interview. It appeared then that it will not sit well with him if a white person plays his person -- even in an advertisement.
