WHITE BRITISH actor Joseph Fiennes has defended his decision to play Michael Jackson after his casting of the black superstar sparked a race row.
Fiennes told AFPTV yesterday (Feb 4) that he was "shocked" at being chosen for the role, but insisted he had no qualms about taking on "a wonderful role" in what was "just a satire."
Fiennes plays Jackson in the upcoming Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon, a short and surreal comedy produced by British pay-TV channel Sky Arts which imagines Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando taking a road trip together in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York.
"Sky Arts who are dedicated to half-hour comedies this year have commissioned a series of comedies, one of which surrounds the road-trip of Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando," Fiennes told AFPTV in Rome.
"I was shocked that they would come to me for the casting. You have to ask them as to why they would want to cast me."
The decision to give Fiennes the role has triggered outrage, with many Jacko fans confused with the casting choice.
One person wrote on The Voice's Instagram account when the news broke: "I'm disgusted by the casting choice."
Another Voice reader referred to the recent Oscar whitewash controversy, saying: "January isn't over yet and the world's been snubbing us left, right and centre."
On Twitter, one person tweeted: "Even getting white actors to play black people now #outrageous #OscarsSoWhite."
Another said: "Appalled by the Joseph Fiennes casting. Somebody so hideously rich has the freedom to choose what roles they say yes to. He saw no issue."
"Joseph Fiennes can play Michael Jackson. (A real person). But Idris can't play James Bond (a fake spy for a fake agency)? Cool, cool, cool," added another Twitter user.
But Fiennes suggested critics getting worked up about his casting were overplaying the importance of the piece.
"I felt this was a wonderful challenge, I read the script and it's very funny.
"It's a satire, it's just a 20-minute satire. It's a sketch about a story that could have been a legend or could have been true. So we'll see what the audience make of it."
Yesterday (Feb 4) controversial actress Stacey Dash offered up a few of her own thoughts on the matter, congratulating Fiennes on the role.
"BRAVO!" said the Clueless star on her blog.
Dash, who is black, added: 'I'm sick and tired of being told 'Sorry, Stacey, this is a Caucasian-only role.' Counterintuitively, this decision by Hollywood—which looks like a diss to blacks—is actually what we've been saying all along: roles should NOT be based on colour."