The producers of the series "White Lotus", in the third season of which Miloš Biković was supposed to play, canceled the actor's engagement.
On this occasion, Biković announced on the social network "Iks", stating that a targeted campaign is being conducted against him, which casts a shadow on the essence of artistic freedom.
The HBO spokesperson announced that the role that was supposed to be played by Biković in the series "White Lotus" will be given to another actor.
"We have decided to end our collaboration with Miloš Biković and the role will be given to another actor," said a spokesman for HBO, according to Variety.
Biković said that he "will not bow to a narrative that threatens his integrity".
HBO's decision followed a call from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which announced on January 24 on IX that the Serbian actor and Russian citizen "has supported Russia since the beginning of the invasion in full scale." "Is it okay to work with a person who supports genocide and violates international law," they asked HBO at the time.
The video accompanying the post shows Biković receiving the Order of Honor from Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, calling the actor a "foreign messenger of the Kremlin." Biković has held Russian citizenship since 2021. In addition to calling himself an "active member of Russian society" and attending government-organized panel discussions, he has also collaborated with supporters of the invasion within the Russian entertainment industry, such as director Nikita Mikhalkov. According to an interview he gave to the Russian publication Telegraf in 2019, he was banned from entering Ukraine, Variety reminds.
Biković said that a "targeted campaign" was being conducted against him.
"I grew up in a war-torn country. When I was 11 years old, I spent days and nights in a shelter, while my country and my hometown were bombed. I would never wish such devastation on anyone. Every day there are more and more conflicts all over the world. Each of them is different. And every single one of them is awesome. I wish they would all stop and the principle of love would prevail. Today, a targeted campaign is being waged against me, which through external influence creates a serious precedent, casting a shadow on the essence of artistic freedom. The result of such a narrative is the triumph of nonsense and the defeat of art.
"I am honored to be chosen to be a part of White Lotus, a TV series that I hold in high esteem, and with colleagues that I greatly respect. However, my participation in it is not possible for reasons outside the realm of culture, and I will not bow to a narrative that threatens my integrity. I want to thank everyone who stood by me, and I wish my colleagues great success in the new season. Despite everything, I still believe that art heals and can unite humanity. Therefore, my beliefs and my commitment to art will remain unchanged ", it is stated in the reaction of Biković.
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