When the Michael movie released earlier this year, it broke box office records, eventually becoming the first musical biopic to gross $1 billion. And it subsequently turned Jaafar Jackson into a household name. Critics and audiences agreed that the now 30-year-old was uncanny in his portrayal of his famous uncle, Michael Jackson. Jaafar displayed the same seemingly effortless onstage swagger and performing skills as the king of pop, so when asked about his own music career, his comments about touring in real life surprised me.
While I think the Michael movie liked to let audiences believe Jaafar Jackson was destined to play this role, there actually was years of practice and prep that went into Jackson learning to dance, since, move and talk exactly like the “Thriller” performer. However, he definitely had a head start, not only from being a relative of Michael Jackson’s, but when he was approached about the role, Jackson had already begun pursuing a music career. Now that he has the fame and following to make it a reality, Jackson told GQ how playing Michael completely changed his perspective on his own artistic ambitions:
