- Title: Paris Jackson 'wants to vomit' seeing white actor as 'King of Pop'
- Date: 12th January 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - MARCH 5, 2009) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF JACKSON ANNOUNCING SERIES OF CONCERT DATES AT LONDON'S O2 ARENA BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - OCTOBER 10, 2006) (REUTERS) ACTOR JOSEPH FIENNES WITH MARIA DOLORES DIEGUEZ, WHOM HE LATER MARRIED, AT THE PREMIERE OF "RUNNING WITH SCISSORS" LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 4, 2005) (REUTERS) FIENNES AT THE PREMIERE OF "THE GREAT RAID" BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 11, 2004) (REUTERS) FIENNES AT THE PREMIERE OF "FINDING NEVERLAND"
- Embargoed: 26th January 2017 22:55
- Keywords: Michael Jackson Paris Jackson Joseph Fiennes twitter Urban Myths Sky Arts
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/ INTERNET/LOS OLIVOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/ INTERNET/LOS OLIVOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: USA
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA0065YS1QH9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Michael Jackson's daughter Paris says she is "incredibly offended" by a new comic film in which a white British actor, Joseph Fiennes, portrays the late "King of Pop."
Paris Jackson, 18, also called the tongue-in-cheek film vomit-inducing in a series of tweets following this week's release of a trailer from Britain's satellite TV channel Sky Arts.
The 30-minute "Urban Myths" series on Sky Arts explores real-life stories involving well-known figures, "using a generous dose of artistic license," Sky Arts said in statement.
The story about Jackson casts Fiennes in a re-imagined tale of a road trip across the United States that the "Thriller" singer is said to have taken in 2001 with movie stars Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando.
Jackson, who had the medical condition vitiligo that lightened the color of his skin, died in June 2009 at the age of 50 after an overdose of the sedative propofol.
The trailer unleashed a new round of outrage on social media about whitewashing, in which white actors are cast to portray characters of other ethnicities.
Asked to comment by Jackson fans on seeing Fiennes as her father, Paris Jackson tweeted on Wednesday that she was "incredibly offended by it, as I'm'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit."
"It angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother liz as well," she said, referring to Jackson's close friend, the late Elizabeth Taylor.
Sky Arts said last year when the project was announced that it "gives producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set."
Fiennes, who appeared in "Shakespeare in Love" and the TV series "American Horror Story," could not be reached for comment. But the actor said last year that although he was surprised at being picked to play the singer, he meant no disrespect.
The Sky Arts TV film is expected to be released later this year. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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