Jaafar Jackson’s Wild Journey: From a Lost Reality Show to Playing His Iconic Uncle, Michael Jackson, in a New Biopic
The 29-year-old is making his acting debut in 'Michael'—and he looks and sounds just like the King of Pop!
Key Takeaways
- Michael Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, plays him in the new biopic 'Michael,' out April 24.
- Before 'Michael,' Jaafar was in 'Living With the Jacksons,' a reality show that never aired.
- Jaafar 'never dreamed to be an actor' and danced until his feet bled to play Michael.
The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic Michael, from Training Day filmmaker Antoine Fuqua and Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King, has been in development since 2019, and after years of reshoots, messy legal disputes and delays, it’s finally coming to theaters on April 24. Jackson occupies a singular place in the pop culture pantheon and finding an actor who could channel him was a tall order—until the filmmakers decided to keep it within the famous musical family and cast Michael’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the role. Read on to learn about Jaafar Jackson and see what the rising star has said about playing his iconic uncle.
Jaafar Jackson’s famous family—and their lost reality show
Jaafar was born to musician Jermaine Jackson, one of Michael’s older brothers and a member of the Jackson 5, and fashion designer Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza Jackson in 1996. While his mom wasn’t a musician, she was involved with the Jacksons even before she married Jermaine, as she was previously in a relationship with Randy Jackson, the youngest brother in the Jackson family, and had a daughter with him, Genevieve, born in 1989, and a son, Steven, born in 1992.
Unsurprisingly, Alejandra’s marriage to Jermaine led to soap opera-level drama within the Jackson family, but Jaafar reportedly has a good relationship with his half-siblings. In 2014, when he was a teenager, they were all set to star in Living With the Jacksons, a reality show following their unique family situation, but the series never made it to the air. While a six-episode season had been filmed and a trailer for the show was shown on TV, the reality series was made with “a wildly small crew working a million hours a day,” according to producer Aurora De Lucia, and the chaotic production was ultimately scrapped before any episodes were seen.
Living With the Jacksons was lost to time, but Jaafar ended up appearing in an episode of The Jacksons: Next Generation, another reality show centered on his family, in 2015. Prior to the reality shows, Jaafar had been in the news in 2010, when he allegedly bought a stun gun at 13 and played with it with his younger cousins, Michael’s three children.
Jaafar Jackson lands the role of a lifetime: ‘I never dreamed to be an actor’
Jaafar Jackson released his debut single, “Got Me Singing,” in 2019. Another single, “Confused,” followed the next year, but he hasn’t yet released an album. In 2021, he appeared in the music video for his uncle Tito Jackson’s song “Love One Another.”
With Michael, Jaafar is stepping into a whole new arena—and will soon have the biggest audience of his career. The role marks his debut as an actor, and there was an extensive casting search before he landed the part. Michael follows the King of Pop’s early years and rise to solo stardom, and when the first trailer for the film came out, it went viral due to his uncanny resemblance to his uncle in the Thriller era.
Jaafar is well aware of the pressure that comes with playing Michael, and he recently said, “I never dreamed to be an actor or even thought of playing him. But I knew it was a calling. Embodying Michael, I really had to earn the role and prove to the filmmakers that I was capable of becoming Michael. Essentially, it was starting at the roots and finding the authenticity.” Michael’s mother, Katherine, said of her grandson, “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”
Jaafar was just 12 when Michael Jackson died suddenly at age 50 in 2009, and he said that during the production, he channeled his uncle’s spirit, recalling he “felt that love for Michael every day on set from the crew and the cast. Everybody had that love and wanted to put their heart and soul into it.” He acknowledged that “it was not easy” and said, “I love challenges, and I wanted to prove to myself, my family and the filmmakers that I could do this,” so he committed to mastering the role on every level, rehearsing for countless hours to nail his signature moves and mannerisms and even dancing until his feet bled.
Clearly, Jaafar Jackson has come a long way since his lost reality show from over a decade ago, and he’s now bringing yet another chapter of his family’s storied legacy to life.
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