Jaafar Jackson is making his professional acting debut in just about one of the largest roles imaginable.
The 29-year-old newcomer portrays his uncle, pop legend Michael Jackson, in the musical biopic Michael, in theaters Friday, April 24. The film chronicles Michael’s early success both as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist.
In conversation with co-star Miles Teller—who plays Jackson’s lawyer and business manager John Branca—for Interview magazine, Jaafar revealed how he prepared for the role and stepped into the King of Pop’s shoes.
“What really helped was having access to Michael’s personal writings. His journaling, his poems, his mantras and affirmations, that was a breaking point for me,” he said. “I started doing the same thing, applying affirmations on walls and mirrors. It started with the voice, then the mannerisms and movements.”
The son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother, and Alejandra Oaziaza, Jaafar is completely new to acting, having only previously appeared in the 2015 reality series The Jacksons: Next Generation and filmed for the unaired series Living with the Jacksons.
Here’s what else you should know about Jaafar Jackson.
Jaafar Jackson is a singer and dancer
Like his uncle and father, who both got their start in the Jackson 5, Jaafar is also a singer and dancer. He started singing and playing piano at the age of 12, finding inspiration from artists like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. In 2019, Jaafar released his first single, “Got Me Singing,” and an accompanying music video.
Jaafar also appeared in the music video for another Jackson family member. In 2021, he and several other relatives were featured in Tito Jackson’s video for the song “Love One Another.”
He has 10 siblings
Jaafar is one of 11 children. He has one younger brother, Jermajesty, an adopted brother named Donte, and eight half-siblings from his parents’ previous relationships. On his father Jermaine’s side, Jaafar has four older half-brothers, Jeremy, Jordynn, Jaimy, and Jermaine Jr., and two older half-sisters, Autumn and Dawn.
His mother, Alejandra, was previously in a relationship with Jermaine’s brother, Randy Jackson, with whom she had Jaafar’s half-siblings Genevieve and Randy Jr.
Jaafar remembers spending time with Michael Jackson
Jaafar was just 12 years old when Michael Jackson died in June 2009. Growing up in Encino, California, he would see Michael often at family gatherings and spent time at his uncle’s Neverland Ranch, which contained a private amusement park and zoo.
“I remember just growing up, and we would have family time. Michael would come over to where I was growing up ... and we’d have some days where we’d all get together, play family game day,” he told NBC’s Today show in April. “We’d have wonderful times at Neverland and just playing hide-and-go-seek, getting as much candy, going on rides, watching movies.”
Jaafar had an unusual audition process for Michael
Despite having no prior acting experience, Jaafar was actually approached for the role by Michael producer Graham King in 2020. In lieu of a traditional audition, he sent King a voice note of himself in character as his uncle. While King was impressed, it took a while for Jaafar to actually book the part.
He spent two years training and working with coaches to mimic Michael’s unique speaking and singing voice, as well as his iconic dance moves, before he officially landed the role.
He waited to tell his family about the role
But Jaafar kept his success under wraps from his family for a while, waiting a year to tell even his mother that he was the star of Michael.
“No one in my family knew for a full year. I kept it pretty quiet until I felt comfortable enough to share it,” he told Interview magazine. “But when my mom saw it on-screen, it blew her away. It was hard for her to connect it to me, so it was very emotional for her.”
You can see Jaafar’s portrayal of his uncle for yourself when Michael arrives in theaters April 24. In the film, he covers some of Michael’s early hit songs and remakes the iconic “Thriller” music video in its entirety.
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
