Even with its "hideous" acoustics fixed, John Malkovich shouldn't expect a red carpet return to the Sydney Opera House anytime soon.
Malkovich slammed the venue's acoustics after his disastrous 2011 Sydney Festival production The Giacomo Variations was panned by critics and audiences.
On Tuesday, Premier Mike Baird used a $202 million election commitment to upgrade the venue as an opportunity to give it back to the American stage and film actor.
"Can I say that that was three hours of my life I'll never ever get back," Mr Baird said of the 2011 performance.
"He can have a go at our Opera House, but I'll tell you what: he is a very, very average actor. I hope he never comes back," he added, drawing laughter from Opera House staff.
Malkovich said the venue wasn't the wisest place to put on a show - with the possible exception of a circus.
"It's lovely to drive by on a motor boat and it has a very nice crew and very capable, but the acoustics are hideous," the veteran actor and producer told News Corp in 2014.
Mr Baird said his Opera House funding injection would include improvements to the acoustic quality of the Concert Hall and upgrades to rehearsal spaces.
But as with many of Mr Baird's recent election funding announcements, the money will only be made available through the government's plan to partially privatise the state's electricity assets.
Opera House chief executive Louise Herron said the funds would allow the famous venue to undergo a much needed renewal.
"(This) will enable us to bring us into the 21st century," she said, pointing out that the Opera House contributed $775 million to the state economy every year.
She expects work on the Concert Hall to start in 2018 and that the venue will be out of action for some time during construction.
Mr Baird also announced $139 million would be set aside to develop the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct.
The government expects the number of people visiting the precinct to more than double to two million within five years of the upgrade's completion - up from the current 780,000 people visiting each year.
The Western Sydney Arts and Cultural Lobby believes the Walsh Bay initiative is misguided, saying the area is largely inaccessible to many Sydneysiders.
Spokesman David Capra said while he supported the Opera House refurbishment, he thought it made more sense for the Walsh Bay funds to be given to western Sydney.
"Currently 30 per cent of the people of NSW reside in western Sydney, but the region receives only a tiny fraction of available arts and cultural funding," he said.
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