{"id":888264,"date":"2026-10-20T00:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T00:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/888264\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T00:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T00:22:10","slug":"jaafar-jackson-on-michael-sequel-cut-third-act-and-oscar-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/888264\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaafar Jackson on ‘Michael’ Sequel, Cut Third Act and Oscar Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tTwo years before a frame of \u201cMichael<\/a>\u201d was shot, Jaafar Jackson<\/a> wrote down a list of goals. One was to beat \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d and cross $1 billion at the worldwide box office.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe did both.<\/p>\n

\n\tAntoine Fuqua\u2019s film, which opened April 24, became the first biopic in history to surpass $1 billion worldwide and Lionsgate\u2019s biggest release ever. It also made a star of Jackson, who had never acted professionally before.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI was pretty emotional,\u201d he tells Variety. \u201cI know how proud Michael would be of that, because he was someone who wanted to break many records.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOn this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast<\/a>, Jackson opens up about leading the blockbuster \u201cMichael,\u201d navigating the Oscar buzz surrounding his performance and what he hopes comes next after a career-defining year.<\/p>\n

\n\tListen below.<\/p>\n

\n\tJackson, 30, is sitting down with Variety just two days after wrapping his second film, \u201cSupermax,\u201d opposite Will Smith, following 40 days of shooting in Australia. He\u2019s candid about the life that led him here. Growing up in a house filled with 30 or 40 relatives every holiday, he dreamed of becoming a golfer, not a performer. He didn\u2019t fully grasp the weight of his last name until he was about six, watching his father and uncles take the stage as the Jackson 5 at a reunion concert in New York and hearing the crowd erupt.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe has fond memories of his family, especially his late uncle. One of his earliest recollections of Michael is asking him for Starbursts \u2014 specifically the pink and red ones, his favorite flavors.<\/p>\n

\n\tBringing Michael to life, however, took two years of preparation before Jackson officially landed the role: building his own archive of songs, demos, journals, rehearsals and performances; working with acting coach Angela Gibbs; and immersing himself in the techniques of Stanislavski, Meisner and Uta Hagen. Nailing his signature voice and tone came first. After the young Jackson sent producer Graham King an unsolicited voice note speaking as Michael, he had a coach the next day. The hardest part came with learning his signature movies, particularly when performing the footwork for \u201cBad,\u201d which is what closes out the film.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut what does it mean to reenact your own family\u2019s history? <\/p>\n

\n\tColman Domingo plays a grandfather who, Jackson says, was gentler with him than with his father, Jermaine. Nia Long, who plays his grandmother Katherine, would touch his hand in certain scenes the way his grandmother did in real life. His father Jermaine insisted on watching the film for the first time at its Berlin premiere, surrounded by an audience. And the next day, he called his son and told him, he couldn\u2019t tell him apart from his late brother.<\/p>\n

\n\tJaafar is just trying to take this all in.<\/p>\n

\n\tRead excerpts from his episode below.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson, \u201cMichael\u201d (Glen Wilson \/ Lionsgate \/ Courtesy Everett Collection)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a9Lions Gate\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n

\t\tYou\u2019re here two days after wrapping a movie with Will Smith. Is that correct?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s correct. I was in Australia for about 40 days, an incredible experience, to shoot my second film and to shoot outside the country, since we shot all of \u201cMichael\u201d in Los Angeles. It was a whole new experience, with a new crew, a new cast and a character completely different from Michael. That excited me.<\/p>\n

\t\tSo you didn\u2019t dance or sing in this movie?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tNo, no, not at all. It\u2019s completely different.<\/p>\n

\t\tYou were born in Los Angeles in 1996. What was your childhood like growing up as a Jackson, and when did you first understand what that name meant to the world?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI grew up with a lot of siblings and cousins who visited on weekends and every holiday. About 30 to 40 family members were at the house, so we had lots of game nights and family cookouts, with music playing. I didn\u2019t really realize who my family was until I was around six, when I saw them perform in New York for their 30th anniversary. Hearing the fans scream, I was scared because I didn\u2019t understand how intense it was to see people react to someone like that.<\/p>\n

\n\tI first saw that when my dad and uncles came out on stage as the Jackson 5, and that\u2019s the first memory I can recall of, \u201cOh, they\u2019re important in some way. They have a huge fan base.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tA very important follow-up. What games did you play on family game night, and how competitive does it get in the Jackson household?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt was always Pictionary. Boys versus girls, no doubt. It was pretty competitive, because the boys always like to brag. I think our streak was like 15 years. I think it was unfair. There are a lot more boys in the family.<\/p>\n

\t\tYou started making music around 12, and your debut single, \u201cGot Me Singing,\u201d came out in 2019. Did you always see yourself as a musician first?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tNo. Growing up, I was only focused on golf. I started playing when I was around 4. My dad gave me golf balls to throw before I could properly swing a club, because I was so young. I fell in love with it. He got me a coach to train with once a week, then I joined a young golf club and started playing tournaments and did some charity tournaments with my father. I committed to it full time, every day, until he brought me to a recording studio and had me sit and watch him create from scratch. That shifted what I wanted to do. That was the turning point.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat\u2019s your earliest memory of your Uncle Michael? Not the icon. Just Uncle Michael.\t<\/p>\n

\n\tAsking him for candy. He always had candy machines or stacks of candy in the movie theater, and I had a problem with an addiction to Starbursts at that age. Pink and red. I would eat too many as a kid. I remember always asking him for candy and wanting to play. He always had the latest games and game consoles, and we\u2019d play hide-and-seek.<\/p>\n

\t\tIn that house, it must have been impossible to find him.\t<\/p>\n

\n\tHe was the best at it. It was just fun, free-roaming and a blast all the time.<\/p>\n

\t\t\u201cMichael\u201d became the first biopic to cross $1 billion worldwide, and it\u2019s Lionsgate\u2019s biggest film ever. Sorry you set that bar for yourself. Do you remember where you were when you heard and who called to tell you?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI was at home, and I spoke with Antoine [Fuqua] and Graham King individually. We were discussing how crazy a milestone that is. Going into it, you hope and dream it\u2019ll be that successful. I remember that two years before production even started, I wrote down a list of goals I wanted to accomplish and one was to beat \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d and cross the $1 billion mark. When it did that, I was pretty emotional. I was proud of it, because I know how proud Michael would be. He wanted to break many records, and I couldn\u2019t be more grateful that this did.<\/p>\n

\t\tI imagine you walking the earth, stalking Rami Malek. \u201cI\u2019m coming for your record, man.\u201d\t<\/p>\n

\n\tNo, he\u2019s great. I actually got to meet him in Paris during Fashion Week. He couldn\u2019t have been nicer.<\/p>\n

\t\tLet\u2019s talk about \u201cMichael\u201d Part 2. Lionsgate\u2019s Adam Fogelson has said production could start at the end of this year or early next, with a release targeted for 2027 or \u201928. Where do things officially stand? Is anything on your schedule?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI haven\u2019t been told anything concrete, but whatever decision is made, I\u2019m more than ready to get back into it and excited for where that goes. I haven\u2019t been told a date or anything solid yet. As far as my schedule, it\u2019s open.<\/p>\n

\t\tLeading up to the release, there was a lot of reporting about the original third act, which dealt with some sensitive subject matter. What was it like, as an actor, to lose material you had already shot and performed, knowing that footage would never see the light of day?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt was a massive shoot. I\u2019ve heard many stories from other actors about how much you shoot on a project that doesn\u2019t make it into the final picture. In the editing room, you go through scenes looking for specific performances or takes and things change constantly. So going in, I knew not everything we shot would make it into the final picture. But for me, it was the most rewarding experience because even the things that weren\u2019t used, the experience I got from them, made me a better actor. I feel like that will happen many more times with other projects. You wish a certain performance was in there and it\u2019s not. That\u2019s something you have to deal with when making a film.<\/p>\n

\t\tYou\u2019re in a best actor conversation with some people like Ryan Gosling, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon and John Malkovich. How are you approaching your first Oscar campaign? Even the movie\u2019s detractors seem to agree: \u201cBut Jaafar is great.\u201d\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s been a crazy and surreal experience, and it\u2019s all gone so fast. I\u2019m taking it a day at a time. Having those conversations and being here speaking with you has been a great honor, and I\u2019m learning so much. Whatever the studio has in mind, I\u2019ll be there to support the film in any way I need to and I\u2019ll be happy to do that. It\u2019s an exciting time, and it inspires me to want to do more work and challenge myself in many different ways. To be in that conversation is definitely an honor.<\/p>\n

\t\tDid you know awards season was like this? That you\u2019d have to go through all these campaign stops?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tNot to that extent. You hear stories, but it\u2019s a great experience to feel it and see it firsthand.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat did you have to learn from scratch, and who taught you the Michael-isms and the Michael moves?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt started with dissecting and creating a library of footage of Michael. A library of all his songs, demos, writings and journaling, performances and rehearsals. I immersed myself in that every day. It became a full-time job, while I also worked on acting with Angela Gibbs, my head coach, who steered me in the right direction, put me in acting classes and brought in other coaches. I read books on classic teachers like Stanislavski, Meisner and Uta Hagen and studied different approaches, because there are many tools you can use, but they don\u2019t work for every actor. I researched different ways to approach a scene, picked my favorites and then developed new ones that might work for Michael, like the dancing. It was a full immersion, a process that took about two years until I actually knew I had the role. Then it was a different energy and confidence, knowing I had it.<\/p>\n

\t\tOur chief film critic, Owen Gleiberman, wrote in his review that you got Michael\u2019s tentative, high, sugary voice just right. Did you find the voice first or the movement first?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe voice came first. The movement was harder. I believe the voice was the first thing that convinced Graham because I sent him a voice note out of nowhere, over text, of me speaking as Michael. He called me and said, \u201cGetting you a coach tomorrow.\u201d That was the turning point.<\/p>\n

\t\tFans keep circulating the side-by-side of your \u201cBad\u201d tour rehearsal with the 1988 concert. What was the hardest move to replicate?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe hardest thing was feeling that true freedom on stage, so it didn\u2019t feel rehearsed or choreographed. It\u2019s very fluid, and that came from repetition, doing it over and over in rehearsal, so when I shot it that day, I could be completely free. I wasn\u2019t thinking about the next move. I was present in the moment. That was the most fun part. But in rehearsal, the most challenging thing was going up on your toes, because doing it over and over hurts you. I did, many times. That move was a problem for me. I had a whole new respect for ballet dancers. Their toes are probably the strongest part of the body.<\/p>\n

\t\tColman Domingo plays your grandfather, Joe Jackson. What was it like to film those scenes, knowing your own father lived through many of those tougher moments?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt was eye-opening to act alongside Colman, then see him as my grandfather and have that full-circle moment. It was so seamless. He\u2019d arrive on set, I\u2019d arrive and we\u2019d get right into it. No rehearsals. I loved that, because we discovered things with every new take and Antoine would guide it or let us play. I grew up with a different side of my grandfather, a softer side. He was strict here and there. If you didn\u2019t put your dishes away, he\u2019d make sure you did or finish all your cereal. But the grandfather my father grew up with was more strict and disciplinary and wanted to keep them together as a group. It was a different time, growing up in the \u201960s and parents disciplined their kids differently. Seeing how Colman channeled that, telling so much through his stillness, his eyes and the tone of his voice, was amazing to witness.<\/p>\n

\t\tSeeing it brought to life on screen would be difficult for anyone. How did it feel to be in a scene recreating something that, in theory, could be traumatic for your dad and your whole family?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tOf course it\u2019d be very personal, making a film about your own family and then having them watch it. I remember being really nervous about my family going to see it. I didn\u2019t know if I wanted to sit there with them, because I didn\u2019t want to be in my own head about what they thought of my performance. I just wanted them to enjoy it for themselves. Seeing a film about your own family can make a lot of people uncomfortable because you have your own idea of what that is, and it\u2019s hard to capture it in a two-hour film. But the response I got from my family was incredible, and it made me emotional to get those phone calls from my cousins, even my younger cousins who are 12 and 13 and my uncles and aunts. They were so supportive, and I was happy I could bring that emotion out in them and bring them together to experience it.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat did your father say when he saw the film for the first time?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI saw him get emotional because he first saw it at the Berlin premiere, with the crowd, with the fans. I said, \u201cDad, you sure you want to wait to see it there?\u201d He said, \u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d He wanted to see it with the audience. I felt a little nervous for him, but he loved it. He had tears when he got on stage afterward. He called me later that night or the next day to say how incredible it was to see his son playing his brother and not be able to tell the difference in so many moments. I told him how high a compliment that is, if I can convince him, me being his son, that I\u2019m actually his brother in that film. It brought back a lot of memories. He said how much he misses Michael and his smile, and that seeing me on screen brought back the presence I brought to some of those quiet moments, especially the energy in the \u201cBad\u201d performance. He was incredibly proud. That\u2019s the highest reward, to get that from your parents and your family.<\/p>\n

\t\tWe\u2019re at the tail end of Hispanic Heritage Month. In a clip that went viral earlier this year, you said, \u201cI\u2019m half Colombian and a lot of people don\u2019t even know that.\u201d Your mother, Alejandra, was born in Bogot\u00e1 and you\u2019ve talked about weaving Latin music into your early songs. What does being half Latino mean to you, and how have Latino audiences responded?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe response from the Latin audience has been amazing. I wish I\u2019d had a chance to go down to South America or Mexico City, where I know the response to \u201cMichael\u201d was through the roof. As someone half Colombian, I sometimes feel embarrassed that I don\u2019t know any Spanish. It\u2019s not too late to learn. My mom still has a full Colombian accent, which I love. Every time I call her, I tease her about it. My Colombian side of the family is fairly small compared to my father\u2019s side, and they\u2019re still in Bogot\u00e1. I have some family in Mexico I don\u2019t see often, but we keep in touch. My mom makes Colombian food every now and then. That\u2019s a reminder, with the holidays coming up. I haven\u2019t been to Colombia since I was 14, so I plan on going soon. The last time I was in South America was Brazil in 2019. It\u2019s beautiful, and I love that part of the world.<\/p>\n

\t\tThere are complicated feelings around this movie, about where it ends and where part two should go. As a family member who sees Michael through that lens, what\u2019s your message to people who have their own idea of what Michael was about, including the more complicated discussions and allegations from his life?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tFinding out who Michael was is in his music. It\u2019s in his lyrics. It\u2019s in the poems he wrote, the videos, the messages he put out, the talks he gave on panels and at universities. It\u2019s in what he devoted so much time to: charities, visiting other countries and visiting countless children. Part two, I can\u2019t say, because I don\u2019t know. It\u2019s not up to me. My job is to come prepared and deliver the best performance I can. But to know Michael, it starts with the music.<\/p>\n

\n\t10 QUESTIONS WITH JAAFAR JACKSON<\/p>\n

Childhood nickname? Art.<\/p>\n

Something you loved as a kid that you can\u2019t believe you were into? Tarantulas. I have one as a pet now. And toy soldiers. I used to imagine battles with toy soldiers.<\/p>\n

Karaoke song or shower song? I\u2019ve never done karaoke. I\u2019m too shy. I feel like I\u2019d be judged completely. In the shower, I don\u2019t have a favorite. I hum different melodies or make weird instrument sounds if there\u2019s an echo.<\/p>\n

Alternate title for \u201cMichael?\u201d It\u2019d have to be a song title. I\u2019m going to go with \u201cMan in the Mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n

Secret talent? Juggling. <\/p>\n

Favorite ice cream flavor? Easily McConnell\u2019s Sea Salt Cream & Cookies.<\/p>\n

The one item you couldn\u2019t live without? I can live without my phone. Maybe Apple TV, for my movies. I have a big movie collection.<\/p>\n

What TV show or film in history do you wish you\u2019d been a cast member of? \u201cTroy.\u201d Not Brad Pitt\u2019s role, because he played that so well. Hector.<\/p>\n

Fictional character you most relate to or admire? I\u2019m going with Black Panther.<\/p>\n

Favorite piece of advice you\u2019ve received? Not to be jaded. To enjoy the most simple things in life, and that there\u2019s beauty in front of you at all times. Just being present to look at it, not getting taken away by the illusion of what\u2019s in front of a screen, that dopamine intake. Be present, find beauty everywhere and stay curious, with wonderment. You find happiness and joy there a lot more than in other places.<\/p>\n

\t\tDo you remember who told you that?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt wasn\u2019t told to me verbally. It was through a note I found that was written by Michael. The way I found it, I felt like I was supposed to hear that.<\/p>\n

\n\tEnjoy the ride, man.<\/p>\n

\n\tVariety\u2019s \u201cAwards Circuit\u201d podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, \u201cAwards Circuit\u201d features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two years before a frame of \u201cMichael\u201d was shot, Jaafar Jackson wrote down a list of goals. One…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":888265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[59472,236,88,27453,27354,29506],"class_list":["post-888264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-awards-circuit-podcast","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-jaafar-jackson","tag-michael","tag-oscars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=888264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/888265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=888264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=888264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=888264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}