John Malkovich just walked away from a controversial role. The actor canceled the project after facing backlash from false attribution of quotes. Malkovich released a statement denying the quotes attributed to him in a press release that has since been edited, calling the situation “unacceptable and untenable.”
The 72-year-old has exited The Music Critic, a satirical play that was supposed to take place in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 13, 2027. This happened after The Jerusalem Post credited a false quote to the actor. The Dangerous Liaisons actor was made aware of the quote when The Hollywood Reporter published an article announcing the tour date in Tel Aviv.
The statement read, “A PR company hired by the Israeli promoter drafted a quote for the article that was attributed to me, though I 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. The fact that they were printed as direct quotes from me is unacceptable and untenable. For this reason, I have decided I cannot participate in the Tel Aviv performance,” the statement continued.
Furthermore, Malkovich’s statement also noted that his appearance would not “condone nor mean” that he is in “supposed solidarity with any particular political cause, nor with the killing of innocents, nor with any acts of terrorism, nor any other kind of barbarity.” Variety’s post has the full statement.
The Jerusalem Post corrects false quote attributed to John Malkovich
On September 5, 2026, The Jerusalem Post released an article announcing the Tel Aviv tour. In the article, the falsely attributed quote to Malkovich read, “I am excited to return to Israel and would be very happy to meet again with the warm Israeli audience, with whom I feel great closeness and identification.”
The article, however, has since been updated with an editor’s note. Alon Yurick, the show’s Israeli producer, clarified in the note that the original press release contained an incorrect quote. According to Yurick, it was a misunderstanding. The producer also apologized for the error.
Although Malkovich won’t appear at the Israel stop, he will continue to do so at other stops for “The Music Critic” tour. In the statement the actor released, he added, “I look forward to continuing to exercise my artistic freedom, come what may. However, only playwrights, novelists, and screenwriters can put words in my mouth, and even then, only in the service of storytelling, and no one else should think they can do that without my consent and without the resultant consequences.”
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
