The countdown to the long-awaited Michael Jackson movie is officially on! Now, the film’s star, Jaafar Jackson, is sharing a little insight into how he reacted after landing the role.
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As we told you, Jaafar is the late King of Pop’s nephew. After the initial photos of the film were released online and the trailer was made public, it was clear why he was chosen. Not only does he share an uncanny resemblance to his uncle, but based on early clips, he also has the Jackson family’s penchant for dancing.
Now, in a new interview, he’s sharing the interesting decisions he made after learning he secured the role as the “Dirty Diana” singer. Sitting down for a new Interview magazine profile with his film co-star Miles Teller (who portrays Michael’s lawyer John Branca in the movie), Jaafar revealed that he opted not to clue his family in for at least a year that he’d gotten the part.
“No one in my family knew for a full year. I kept it pretty quiet until I felt comfortable enough to share it. 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,” he explained.
He later added that after seeing the film, his mom felt “protective” of him, anticipating some of the widespread comments and attention she knew he’d receive once the movie hit theaters. Jaafar also noted that his father had yet to see the film but that he was excited for him to do so, describing shooting as “a full body experience.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Jaafar went a little deeper into how he prepared for the role of Michael, noting that he read the “Human Nature” singer’s personal journals, poems, affirmations and more to get into his psyche. He also shared that he slept on the floor of the Jacksons’ famous Encino, Calif. home to immerse himself in his uncle’s world.
“Always on the floor because there’s no furniture in the house at Hayvenhurst,” Jaafar said. “It’s funny because Graham[King, producer] said, ‘Are you sure you don’t want production to get a bed or anything?’ I got one of those thin Japanese-style mattresses.”
Jaafar continued: “I slept in many different rooms in the house just to feel the energy. Staying there allowed that to happen without forcing it. I was so fortunate to have that as my playground. Without that, I don’t think my performance would be what it is, honestly…There was a dance room where Michael used to train. [And] I started training there.”
“Michael” hits theaters on April 24.
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