Jaafar Jackson Reveals Hardest Michael Performance to Recreate for King of Pop Biopic (Exclusive)

Ready whenever you are, Michael. Okay, so what was the hardest routine? Which one? Because there are incredible... Look, we know that everybody's gonna go and put everything side by side. It is incredible how you recreated these scenes. Which one was the hardest? Thank you. Which one was the hardest? I would say probably Billie Jean, Motown 25. Because I wanted to get as close as I possibly could to that, frame by frame. And that one was tough because trying to stick to that, you know, frame by frame, but also not coming across as just trying to mimic, but still embodying the performance and being believable while sticking to that structure, that was a challenge. You know, hitting every moment, every beat, but also having the energy and the showmanship behind the moves too, which was a challenge. And what was it like shooting Thriller? Because I've heard it, the night was a full moon, and I have some friends who actually saw it that night on the set, and they were like, it was incredible. It was like otherworldly because it was channeling the night that they shot it. It felt like that. It was surreal. It was weird because it was just like going back in time, especially I wasn't even born in that time, and for me to see and look in the mirror, and I'm the zombie version of Michael. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then to see all the zombies around me, it made me, it was one of my favorite moments, I think, during the duration of filming. So is this the start of your acting career? Absolutely, it's just the start. In the highly anticipated Michael biopic, Jafar Jackson's goal was never to impersonate his uncle, but to rather channel his essence, and boy does he deliver. That is what I want the world to feel, magic. The 29-year-old beat out 200 other actors to land the role, Jafar's preparation took two years, and included dancing every day until his feet were numb. He also moved back into the Jackson family's famed Havenhurst compound to fully entrench himself in Michael's world. Let's do it again. Yeah, I missed that. Yeah, yeah. What's that like to spend time in the place where Michael created so much magic from? I spent many, well, one, I grew up there, but then in this process of getting into character, I used that as a playground, a place to really train and rehearse, work with my acting coaches, work with choreography of the many different moves there. So wait, so you went back to Havenhurst and everybody just came to your house? Yeah. So you were like, I'm home. You could go in the kitchen when you sat on the couch, everything. Yeah, I would wake up there, I'd go down, I would rehearse, and when I'd take a break, I'd go watch films that my uncle would watch, you know, do different things that would just make me stay in that mode. And I did that for a few, about two years, I would say. So you were back at the house living there, basically. Yeah, I was. Land like this. Yeah, I'm always on the wrong side. You worked with some of his old choreographers. How was that? Wow, rich in tone. Yeah, I got a chance to work with them for a good amount of time, and to be able to work with them and hear the stories that they had while working with Michael, and those stories in the rehearsal process of what that was like, and how disciplined Michael was, that was incredible to hear. And there's so much love. What do you remember most about Michael? What I remember most is just really those tender moments of having fun with my uncle. And it was my uncle Jack and my uncle Marlon, but my uncle Michael and he would come over to Havenhurst where I grew up, and we'd have family day, and it was just so fun. We'd play board games, we'd just play hide-and-go-seek, we'd have a lot of candy, watch movies, so it was always a lot of levity and fun. When did you realize that you're like, damn, we're pretty famous? When did I first realize? I was around five or six in New York for the 30th anniversary. Yes. Madison Square Garden. I just remember it being incredibly loud, hearing all the fans screaming, and I was covering my ears, and seeing my father and uncles on stage. That was my very first time seeing a performer. And I feel like that's when I first realized that they're incredibly important, and their music means a lot to the world, just by hearing and seeing the fans' reaction. Because I was so young, so I couldn't really fully comprehend the magnitude of their appeal to people. But as I grew older, then I started to really understand. Michael, I knew you were different the moment you were born. I think one of the things I took away from this movie also was how lonely Michael was, that this movie shows you that he was alone so much, and that's why he had his animals and other things. How important was it to show that personal side of your uncle? It's incredibly important, and I think this film does an amazing job with that, showing those quiet moments, showing the creative process, which he was very secretive about, and not allowing Timmy to see how he creates. But I think those are really important moments to feel and also see, especially as someone that's a newer audience, to understand him. Also have those amazing moments that you're familiar with, the Billie Jean thriller, the Beat It, and those iconic moments. But also the moments leading up to that, and what was his mindset like, what was he feeling leading up to those moments, which is important. I believe music could change the world. E.T. traveled nearly 6,000 miles away to Berlin for this exclusive interview inside the immersive Michael Jackson fan experience. Many of these iconic outfits were recreated for the film that hits theaters April 24th. And this was one of my favorites, honestly, the Victory Tour. The Victory Tour. Oh yeah, but to see YouTube footage of it, I became a huge fan of just the whole show itself. So to see it come to life on the set, they had the actual real lights they brought back for this. And then the wardrobe was one of my favorites. Playing the different eras was really exciting for me, and also a challenge, especially with the moves, the movement. Because the 80s is one thing, but to learn the 70s was a whole new thing. Now, this movie is just the beginning. So what will we see in the next phase of this? Oh, I'm excited to see. There's so much to tell Michael's story. You can't fit it all into one movie. It's possible. It's, I think, impossible to tell in two hours. So I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what will come about in that way. And it's definitely in the making. Is that already done, or are you making it now? What is the latest on that? It's in the early development right now. Oh, okay. Yeah. So you're ready. You still have to stay in Michael mode. Yeah, that's right. I do. There is the Grammy jacket. It's really heavy, huh? It is heavy, and I'm glad I didn't have to perform with it. It's just that moment when holding all the Grammys. Yeah. Bad. Oh, yeah. Bad. You got the Billie Jean Motown 25. Thriller. Beat it. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough. Yeah. Tuxedo. The tuxedo. That was fun. The tuxedo. I remember rehearsing, and I wanted to rehearse with the tuxedo to get a feel for it, because I was rehearsing just normal clothes, rehearsal clothes, and it's a different thing performing with a tuxedo on, you know? Yeah, it's hard. Well, it has to be loose, right? It needs to be. They have to adjust it specifically to do certain moves, so that was interesting. But that's one of my favorite looks, too, of Michael's. It's so clean. I know that you're a Jackson, and people already know you and everything, but this is one of those moments where everything will change for you. Have you prepared for that moment? To the best of my ability, and I've been very fortunate to grow up and see that with my father and uncles and to have the guidance and the support from my family, and they've given me so much incredible, you know, such insight on the business and what to look out for, you know? So I'm not going into it too blindsided, and I think I have a really strong foundation, but I don't know. We'll see. I don't know how many places you can go anymore. I'll be honest with you. After this, I don't know how, you know, life changes. Did they give any piece of advice about it? To not take anything too serious, and everything is, you know, it's all smoke and mirrors. You don't, you know, they build you up, and just kind of keep your foundation, keep people around you you trust, and take time each day to ground yourself and just stay calm.