Jaafar Jackson: who is Michael’s nephew, film, years, girlfriend

Michael – in cinemas from today – is the biopic on the life of the King of Pop Michael Jackson, interpreted by his nephew Jaafar Jackson (son of Jermaine, Michael’s older brother). An absolute debut as an actor.

Unlike the film, the boy’s performance (30 years old in July) was praised by almost all critics. And in fact, Jaafar gives an electrifying performance, in which as well as showing great skills as a singer and dancer he succeeded perfectly embody the essence of the famous uncle. Here’s everything we know about him.

Jaafar Jackson is Michael Jackson, who is the nephew who plays the uncle in the biopic Michael

Born on July 25, 1996 in Los Angeles, Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson – Michael’s older brother and historic member of the Jackson 5 – and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza. At the age of 12 he began singing and dancingeven if, in the years of youth, dreams of becoming a golfer professional.

In 2015 he took part in the reality show together with his family Living with the JacksonsWhile in 2019 he released his first single Got Me Singing. Two years later he appears in the video clip of Love One Another, song by uncle Tito Jackson. Since 2016, Jaafar has been a regular couple with the actress and singer Maddie Simpson. Michael it’s his absolute debut as an actor.

The plot of the film Michael directed by Antoine Fuqua

The film begins with Michael’s childhood (Juliano Valdi as a child and Jaafar Jackson as an adult): from the first performances with i Jackson 5passing through the harsh discipline and abuse suffered by his father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo).

The group, thanks to the intuition of Motown Records president Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate), becomes an unprecedented musical phenomenon. The Jackson brothers are a hit machine like ABC, The Love You Save, I Want You Back And I’ll be theretouring the United States for an endless series of concerts.

The years pass and, as a teenager, Michael begins to want to free himself from his father’s yoke to explode his creativity. The meeting with the legendary producer Quincy Jones will be fundamental (Kendrick Sampson) which together with Michael he will create in 1979 the album Off the Wall. In parallel, takes refuge more and more in a childish world where animals, toys and the myth of Peter Pan give him back that childhood “stolen” from playing with his peers.

Thanks to his friendship with lawyer John Branca (Miles Teller), Michael decides to leave the Jackson 5, but above all the nefarious influence of his father Joe, to the point of firing him as manager. Then, in 1982, the release of the album Thriller it will make him a global super star, capable of taking down the racial barriers that still plagued the recording industry with immortal hits like Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature – and of course the title track.

Michael Jackson thus becomes the first black artist to be broadcast on MTVrevolutionizing video clips with masterpieces such as Thriller directed by John Landis. After a final tour in 1984 with his brothers, Michael definitively abandons the Jackson 5 and finds his independence. The biopic ends one minute before the legendary performance of Bad during the English leg of the 1988 tour.

The casting of the film and the choice of Jaafar Jackson

In 2021 in the wake of the success of other musical biographies such as Bohemian Rhpsody (the film about Freddie Mercury) and Rocket Man dedicated to the life of Elton John, The first rumors about a possible Jackson biopic are starting to circulate. Graham King, producer of Rapshodyestablishes first contacts with the Jackson family and the Michael Jackson Foundation, as well as the search for an actor who can embody the King of Pop.

Although many pointed out a great resemblance to his legendary uncle, Jaafar had absolutely no idea that he would be among the candidates. In a press note, he stated that: «When I first heard about the film, my first thought was certainly not “I’ll play Michael”. I had never even dreamed of being an actor. My first thought was ‘I wonder who will play Michael?'”

At the same time, he had had the privilege of observing his uncle up close. «As a child, I was obsessed with him, I sat in front of the TV in the same living room where he once sat, watching his tours and videosstudying it thoroughly. At the time I couldn’t really understand what it was, but I knew I was attracted by that extraordinary energy.”

Almost for fun, Jaafar thus participates in the castings; producer Graham King is immediately struck by the young man. «I felt something similar when Rami Malek came into my office and said, “I’d like to play Freddie Mercury‘”».

“But here we were on a completely new level,” King recalls. «There was something so spiritual about Jaafar that even just talking to him about Michael moved me. We evaluated nearly 200 actors around the world and none could compete with Jaafar». Shared emotions aalso by the director of the film Antonie Fuqua, author of cult films such as Training Day And The Equalizer.

Preparation for the role of the King of Pop

Once the decision was made, Jaafar’s commitment was immediately unwavering. The young man works every single day for two years with an acting coach, following rigorous dance courses together with choreographers Rich + Tone Talauegadancers ofHIStory Tour by Jackson in 1996. Jaafar even starts sleeping and rehearsing in Michael’s old bedroomin the house on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino, California.

For the young rookie it was It’s essential to find the same energy that Michael felt at the time. SDriven by a perfectionist creed that soon became his, Jaafar continued to improve, putting more and more of himself into every move.

As his choreographers stated: «Michael’s nuances are something you can’t fake but in every movement the true soul of a dancer must also emerge. We didn’t want Jaafar to be a carbon copy. The key was to always let a little of Jaafar shine through and play to his strengths».