John Malkovich cancels upcoming Israel performance over fabricated quote

John Malkovich has cancelled his upcoming performance in Israel over a falsely attributed quote in the press release.

Last week, it was announced that the Being John Malkovich actor would bring his show, The Music Critic, to Tel Aviv on 13 April 2027.

The press release featured an alleged quote from the actor saying he looked "forward to meeting the warm Israeli audience once again, to whom I feel a strong closeness and solidarity".

However, Malkovich clarified to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that he did not say those words or approve of the press release, and was therefore cancelling the show.

"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," he said. "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 72-year-old particularly took issue with the quote claiming he was in "solidarity" with Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

"My appearance in any country, even my own, does not constitute approval of said country's policies, nor actions, nor its elected or unelected leaders," he stated. "My appearances would also not condone nor mean that I am 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."

Concluding his statement, the Con Air star insisted that only creative writers can put words in his mouth in the service of storytelling and "no one else should think they can do that without my consent and without the resultant consequences".

The Israeli firm handling the show's publicity has apologised for "incorrectly" attributing quotes to Malkovich.

The actor, who has previously visited Israel in 2008 and 2013, has performed The Music Critic in 47 countries over almost 20 years. In the show, which blends classical music with satire, he plays an "evil critic" who insults famous composers.