Dannyka Manangan

Jaafar Jackson on becoming Michael Jackson in upcoming ‘Michael’ biopic: 'It was really surreal'

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>Jaafar Jackson is taking on a deeply challenging and personal role as he portrays the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in the upcoming biopic, <em>Michael</em>. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, he opens about starring in the film, which also happens to be his first ever big screen role.  </p><p>Jaafar is Michael’s nephew to his brother, Jermaine, and the latter&#x27;s former wife Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza.  </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/11/7/here-s-the-official-teaser-for-michael-jackson-biopic-michael-starring-his-nephew-jaafar-jackson-1711"><strong>READ: Here&#x27;s the official teaser for Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael,’ starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>In an interview on <em>The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon</em> on April 3, Jaafar shared that the opportunity initially came as a surprise. At the time, he had simply knew about the biopic after reading an article online that says producer Graham King had secured the rights to tell the story of the King of Pop. </p><p>“My first thought was, ‘Who are they going get to play Michael?’ And, honestly, I didn&#x27;t think of myself. I was like, ‘This is going be really interesting‘,” he recalled.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWrV_q9jvR8/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A278490.40000003576%2C%22ls%22%3A278151.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A278159.3000000119%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:658px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Months later, however, Jaafar received a call from the <em>Bohemian Rhapsody </em>producer, inviting him to an online meeting that would eventually change the direction of his career. </p><p>“I can tell just by that call what this was going to lead to in some way. And then one thing led to the other. We had lunch and he&#x27;s kind of looking at me. Like, he asked me, ‘Have you ever acted before?’ I said, ‘Never. I&#x27;ve never wanted to be an actor.’ I initially told him that I grew up wanting to play golf [but] I got into music,” he said. </p><p>Despite having no acting background, Jaafar said growing up in the Jackson family meant being surrounded by his uncle’s artistry. Watching Michael’s performances and studying his movements became part of his life long before the film was even conceived. </p><p>Still, landing the role was far from easy. According to Jaafar, it took years of preparation and auditions before he officially secured the part. </p><p>“It wasn&#x27;t just a traditional audition. I definitely had to earn the role for a two-year process, really...Before I [even] officially got the part. And then I had some more time to really hone in on the details, knowing I have the part.” </p><p>For Jaafar, the transformation into his uncle went beyond choreography and costumes. Seeing himself fully dressed as Michael, with his iconic hairstyle and wardrobe, became an emotional experience. </p><p>“It was really surreal, a spiritual moment at the same time... Just that process of seeing me slowly transform into Michael, it was emotional,” he said.  </p><p>The pressure intensified when filming began. On his first day on set, Jaafar had to recreate performances from Michael’s famous “Bad Tour,” which took place in the late 1980s. In fact, he revealed that the first two weeks of production were largely dedicated to filming the performance scenes for the movie. </p><p>The film’s trailer already shows Jaafar executing one of Michael’s most iconic moves, the moonwalk. He admitted that recreating legendary choreographies came with immense pressure, especially when honoring the style of the King of Pop. </p><p>“Well, see, going into it, I always told myself, ‘What should I start on first?’... So, we broke down, frame by frame, the ’Billie Jean’ performance from ’Motown 25’, and that was the first set of choreography I started to learn throughout the process.” </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/2/3/-michael-biopic-trailer-offers-glimpse-into-michael-jackson-s-evolution-as-a-global-star-1640"><strong>READ: &#x27;Michael&#x27; biopic trailer offers glimpse into Michael Jackson&#x27;s evolution as a global star</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>He revealed that he had only 20 days to learn the choreographies and convince the filmmakers he was right for the role. Looking back, he admitted the process was daunting and filled with doubts.  </p><p>“And within that time, I was very doubtful, and it was incredibly challenging. I can only imagine looking back at those videos now, and it&#x27;s horrible. Compared to now, how it looks on the film, it&#x27;s way different,” he expressed.  </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWtzbe1hUA8/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A279795.40000003576%2C%22ls%22%3A278151.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A278159.3000000119%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:658px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>The movie will also feature some of Michael Jackson’s most timeless hits, including “Thriller.” Jaafar shared that recreating the legendary music video was one of the most memorable moments during filming. According to him, the team shot the sequence for two nights straight in the same location where the original 1980s video was filmed. During that time, Jaafar said they experienced what felt like a touch of Michael’s magic when a real full moon appeared while they were shooting. </p><p>As described in the film’s official synopsis, <em>Michael </em>is “the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known.” </p><p>The movie “tells the story of Michael Jackson&#x27;s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson 5, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.” </p><p><em>Michael </em>is set to hit theaters on April 24.</p>

<p>Jaafar Jackson is stepping into one of the most iconic roles in music history, as he stars as his uncle Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic, Michael. </p>

Jaafar Jackson is stepping into one of the most iconic roles in music history, as he stars as his uncle Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic, Michael.