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Malkovich was slated to perform “The Music Critic,” a touring
comedy featuring classical music and criticism of world-famous
composers, in Tel Aviv in April.
A recent press release quoted Malkovich as saying: “I am
thrilled to return to Israel and am looking forward to meeting
the warm Israeli audience once again, to whom I feel a strong
closeness and solidarity.” The quote appeared in some Israeli
and U.S. media outlets.
Malkovich told The Hollywood Reporter that he “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,” he said. “For
this reason, I have decided I cannot participate in the Tel Aviv
performance.”
Representatives for Malkovich did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
Alon Yurik, the Israeli producer of the show, said in a
statement that the quote was wrongly attributed to Malkovich
because of “human error.” He said the production contacted media
outlets to remove the quote and correct the reports, and that it
had issued an apology.
“I regret that the incident developed to the point of the
performance being canceled,” Yurik said.
Malkovich has performed in Israel before. He has said that
performing in a country does not mean he agrees with its
political leaders or their policies.
Malkovich is a two-time Academy Award nominee whose film credits
include “Dangerous Liaisons,” “In the Line of Fire” and “Con
Air.”
He played a fictionalized version of himself in “Being John
Malkovich” in 1999, in which a struggling puppeteer, played by
John Cusack, discovered a portal into the actor's head.
Malkovich stars alongside Sam Rockwell in this year's “Wild
Horse Nine,” a film centered on the CIA's role in the 1973
military coup in Chile.
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