 "Who is Jaafar Jackson, the actor playing late pop star Michael Jackson in his much-awaited biopic?")
Michael Jackson was like nobody else. A singer with a distinctive vocal range, a dancer who set the stage on fire and a versatile songwriter, the King of Pop was relentlessly pursued by millions of fans throughout his solo career. And now, there’s a film being made on his life with Jaafar Jackson taking on the responsibility to play the iconic and unforgettable figure.
Who is Jaafar Jackson?
He is the son of Jermaine Jackson. Jackson released his debut single, “Got Me Singing”, in 2019, and he will make his film debut by portraying his uncle, Michael Jackson. In 2015, he was a main cast member in the filming of his family’s reality show Living with the Jacksons. Jackson has covered songs by Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.
On playing Michael Jackson
On Jimmy Fallon’s show, the actor spoke about the feat and said, “This is surreal. This is my uncle, this is crazy. It was really a surreal, a spiritual moment.” He further revealed, “It was a multi-year process. It wasn’t just a traditional audition. I definitely had to earn the role [over] a two-year process, really. Before I even officially got the part, and then I had some more time to really hone in all the details, knowing I had the part.”
More about the biopic
Development began in November 2019, when it was reported that producer Graham King had secured the rights to produce a film about Michael Jackson, with Logan attached to write the screenplay. Lionsgate announced the film in February 2022.
Fuqua was announced as the director in January 2023, and casting began that month when Jaafar was cast; further casting took place from January to April 2024. Filming began in January 2024, after being delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and ended that May.