HBO cancels contract with Milos Bikovic, who was to star in White Lotus, over ties to Russia
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry criticised the TV channel for working with the actor
The American company HBO has cancelled the contract with Serbian actor Milos Bikovic after he was cast in the third season of the popular TV series White Lotus just a few weeks ago.
Bikovic's participation in the series was opposed by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which accused him of supporting Russian aggression.
The actor has not openly stated his position on the war in Ukraine, but in 2021, Bikovic was granted Russian citizenship, and in 2018, Russian dictator Putin awarded him the Pushkin Medal, which the Russian authorities award to foreigners for achievements in the field of culture and art.
Bikovic himself said on his Instagram that he would have been happy to star in White Lotus, but his participation in the project "became impossible for reasons that go beyond creativity".
"At the moment, when a targeted information campaign is being waged against me, external circumstances are beginning to influence creative decisions, which creates a disturbing precedent that displaces the essence of freedom of creativity. The result of this narrative is the triumph of the absurd and the defeat of art," he wrote.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Bikovic was supposed to play a "flirtatious Russian yogi" in a hotel in Thailand. However, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on its X account criticised the channel's decision to work with the actor.
"HBO, is it okay for you to work with a person who supports genocide and violates international law?" – the agency said.
In the official statement of the NGO, which was quoted by Variety, among others, the reasons for Bikovic's dismissal were not specified. "We have decided to part ways with Milos Bikovic, and a new actor will be found for the role," a company spokesperson said.
Bikovic had travelled to Crimea on several occasions, including to film the Russian-Serbian film Balkan Frontier. In 2019, he claimed that the Ukrainian authorities had banned him from entering the territory of Ukraine, which may be related to his visit to the Russian-annexed peninsula.
Bikovic is a Serbian actor who has gained popularity in Russia for his roles in films and TV series. In 2019, Ukraine banned him from entering the country due to a threat to national security."
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