John Malkovich pulls out of Israel performance, says producer’s PR release misquoted him

SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 08:40Updated: SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 08:41American actor John Malkovich on Tuesday canceled his planned performance in Israel next year after saying he never approved statements attributed to him in a promotional release issued by the Israeli producer of his show.A week earlier, it was announced that Malkovich would return to Israel with his musical theater production The Music Critic. The performance had been scheduled for April 13, 2027, at the Tel Aviv Culture Hall.The satirical production combines classical music pieces with harsh reviews written about them and dark humor. It is based on an idea by Russian-German Jewish musician Aleksey Igudesman, who appears in the show alongside Malkovich and additional musicians.A quote presented as a statement from Malkovich himself was included in a press release sent by the show’s Israeli public relations team to Israeli media outlets.“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 press release read.JOHN MALKOVICH. (credit: Eric Charbonneau/A24 via Getty Images)A report published by Walla about Malkovich’s planned arrival in Israel was later published by The Jerusalem Post, which is part of the same media group. Following that report, The Hollywood Reporter published an article on September 5 citing the Post report.Then on Tuesday night, The Hollywood Reporter released a report regarding the cancellation of Malkovich's performance in Israel. The report stated that Malkovich had not approved the statement issued by the Israeli PR team and, as a result, decided to cancel his appearance in the country.Malkovich says PR quote was falsely attributed to him“The Tel Aviv performance was supposed to be one of several stops on the tour throughout Europe and the Middle East,” Malkovich told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. “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,” he continued.“Throughout my long career,” Malkovich added, “I have had the privilege of performing in large parts of the world, in countries with governments whose values or culture I do not share, and before audiences with different beliefs and ideologies. Arriving in places whose worldview may not align with my own has given me the opportunity to observe, listen and learn, and to share my ideas about what makes stories good and what makes music beautiful, and how they can complement each other and illuminate the human condition.”“My performance in any country, including my own, does not constitute an endorsement of that country’s policies, its actions, or its elected or unelected leaders. My performances also do not indicate any supposed ‘solidarity’ with a particular political cause, not with the killing of innocent people, not with any acts of terrorism, and not with any other form of barbarity,” he stated.'Only playwrights, authors and screenwriters can put words in my mouth'“Only playwrights, authors and screenwriters can put words in my mouth, and even then, only in service of storytelling, and no one else can think they can do that without my consent and without the consequences that follow,” Malkovich concluded.Two days before the performance was canceled, a new statement was issued to the media on behalf of the show's Israeli producer Alon Yurik, requesting the removal of quotes attributed to Malkovich in the previous week's announcement. The statement said, "A mistake occurred, and an incorrect quote was sent.""I would like to clarify that the original press release contained a mistake, and an incorrect quote from Malkovich was included due to a misunderstanding. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for that," Yurik stated on Monday.Malkovich's career and achievementsMalkovich has visited Israel more than once in the past. In July 2008, he arrived as an honorary guest of the Jerusalem Film Festival, and in April 2013 he returned to Israel for his first performance in the country with his musical theater show The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer. The production was performed in Eilat as part of the Eilat International Chamber Music Festival and at the Tel Aviv Museum as part of the Felicia Blumenthal Music Festival.The satirical show that had been scheduled to appear in Israel combines classical music pieces, including works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy and Prokofiev, with harsh reviews written about them and dark humor. It is based on an idea by Russian-German Jewish musician Aleksey Igudesman, who appears in the show alongside Malkovich and other musicians.The performance creates a comedic confrontation on stage: while the critic, played by Malkovich, tells the audience that Schumann merely “imagines he is a composer,” that Brahms is a “talentless bastard,” and that Beethoven or Chopin are simply boring, the musicians alongside him respond with live performances of those same works.At the end of the show, an actual brutal review written about Malkovich himself is read aloud.The performance has been presented across Europe and the United States, recorded and released as an official music album.Malkovich, 72, won an Emmy Award for his role in the film Death of a Salesman and was nominated twice for an Academy Award for his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire. He has also appeared in films including The Killing Fields, Dangerous Liaisons, Con Air, Being John Malkovich and Eragon.Last week, the British film Wild Horse Nine, written and directed by Martin McDonagh, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The film, which combines comedy, action and thriller elements, stars Malkovich alongside Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey.Follow us on Google