Jaafar Jackson Tells Miles Teller How He Unlocked the King of Pop

 Jaafar Jackson had never acted when producer Graham King approached him in 2020 about a biopic on his uncle Michael. Instead of auditioning the usual way, Jaafar sent King a voice note of himself speaking as MJ. King called back immediately. What followed: years of obsessive solo prep and a quiet determination not to let anyone else take the role—even after a global casting search. Now Jaafar makes his debut in Michael, charting the rise of the King of Pop. Co-star Miles Teller watched the transformation up close and had one question: How did he pull it off ?

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TUESDAY 3:30 PM FEB. 24, 2026 LA

MILES TELLER: Jaafar.

JAAFAR JACKSON: What’s up, bro? How’s it going?

TELLER: It is good. I was so excited that they asked me to do this.

JACKSON: I’m glad you’re here.

TELLER: The last time I saw you was when—was your mom seeing it for the first time?

JACKSON: She was. It was my mom and a few siblings. It was pretty surreal to see their reactions. She came to set one time, but she wasn’t aware of what to expect. Even in the process of preparing for it, I didn’t tell her for a full year.

TELLER: What do you mean? When you booked it, you didn’t tell her?

JACKSON: No. 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.

TELLER: How big is the Jackson family? How many cousins do you have?

JACKSON: I don’t know the exact number, because there’s new babies every year. I think it’s around 35 to 40 cousins. And I have nine brothers and two sisters.

TELLER: And your mom, when she finally did process it, what did she say? I imagine parts of it feel almost invasive to the family members because it’s such a personal story.

JACKSON: Oh, for sure. Especially seeing moments that she was familiar with, growing up and being around the family, and then seeing it on-screen while her son is portraying Michael. It was strange for her and she’s very protective of me, knowing what’s to come with it.

TELLER: Sure.

JACKSON: My father hasn’t seen it yet, and I can’t wait for that.

TELLER: I mean, it’s really a shot out-of-a-cannon performance.

JACKSON: Yeah. It was a full body experience and definitely shows a side of me that my mom hasn’t seen.

TELLER: Graham King [the producer] has worked with some of the absolute best, and he said the thing he really wants people to understand is you are Jaafar and you are playing Michael. It’s not an impersonation by any means. How did you feel when you first saw it?

JACKSON: Going into it I tried my best to say, “I’m going to just try to watch without critiquing anything.”

TELLER: It’s never going to happen.

JACKSON: [Laughs] As soon as it came on, it was a completely different experience than what I thought it was going to be.

TELLER: Yeah.

JACKSON: It went by so fast. I was like, “Wait, that’s it?” But the second time I saw it was a completely different experience. I was able to understand what the story is and really allow myself to enjoy what’s on the screen, rather than thinking of all the things we shot that aren’t in there. Because that was my problem the first time. I was like, “Where’s all that footage?”

TELLER: Yeah.

JACKSON: I was proud of what I saw, but there’s that little voice in your head. It’s like, “Was there another take of that move that could have been better?” But overall, it was a great feeling. Each time I see it, I find new things to appreciate.

TELLER: I don’t think that feeling ever goes away. It’s really hard when you have so much experience connected to something and then it’s condensed into this two-hour movie.

JACKSON: Exactly. That was the thing I was fighting against. I had all those memories on set and even the additional photography we did. That was what stood out to me—seeing how they’ve shaped it together. That was my first time ever being on set, and I tried to stay with that confidence, even when I was surrounded by 50 people on set. There were times where I would be a little self-conscious going into some of the big performances.

TELLER: Often, no matter how much prep I do, it’s tough to not want to show them you can do the whole movie that first day of filming. Was there a particular scene or moment when it really felt like it clicked for you?

JACKSON: From day one I was put in a position where I had to show up ready, because it started with the performances.

TELLER: Which is smart.

JACKSON: Which I loved, too. It allowed me to get all that nervous energy out and just embody Michael on stage. Once they said “action,” I let loose. But when we got to the dramatic scenes, I thought, “Oh, shoot. Now we’re going to the acting side.” Because I heard a few people were teasing me here and there.

TELLER: They should not have done that. [Laughs] We know it’s all acting.

JACKSON: I just allowed myself to put trust—obviously in Graham, but really in myself. I just kept saying, “It was divine timing. I’m here for a reason, so take it day by day.”

TELLER: Often even when somebody’s not blood related or knew the person personally, they talk about feeling the spirit of the person that they’re portraying. How would you describe what it felt like, portraying your uncle and getting his story out there?

JACKSON: It’s the type of experience that reshapes who you are for the better. To be able to live in those shoes, feel some of what he was feeling, see life through fresh eyes the way Michael did—it was important to feel all those things so I could come from a place of truth, rather than trying to imitate or copy the shape of the moves. I wanted to learn the meaning behind the move, the essence of it. What really helped was having access to Michael’s personal writings. His journaling, his poems, his mantras and affirmations, that was a breaking point for me. I started doing the same thing, applying affirmations on walls and mirrors. It started with the voice, then the mannerisms and movements. I do miss that feeling on set. Once we stopped, I had to get used to it.

TELLER: That doesn’t go away ever, especially when you’re as committed and invested in a project as you were for this. You slept on the floor in the home for a little bit?

JACKSON: Always on the floor because there’s no furniture in the house at Hayvenhurst.

TELLER: You could have gotten an air mattress.

JACKSON: It’s funny because Graham said, “Are you sure you don’t want production to get a bed or anything?” I got one of those thin Japanese-style mattresses.

TELLER: Okay.

JACKSON: It wasn’t too bad. I set up Hayvenhurst, which is a family home that they lived and grew up in, and I grew up in. I lived there for 15 years. I went back there and created a research room. There was a dance room where Michael used to train. I started training there, and 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 it my performance would be what it is, honestly.

TELLER: I feel like the only time you could really regret giving a certain performance would be if you left a stone unturned.

JACKSON: I wanted to dissect everything. That’s one thing I learned from Michael, how he dissected like a scientist. I applied that to my own being and acting and dance, because I always had rhythm, but I didn’t know how to dance like Michael.

TELLER: Nobody does. Although people are going to see this and be like, “That’s as close as it gets.”

JACKSON: To do it in a way that is believable is the challenge. You can do the moonwalk, but to make it believable is a whole different thing. It could be as simple as a spin. That’s probably the hardest move for me, the spin. Only because naturally, if I were to spin, I’d spin to my right because of my balance. But Michael spins to his left. It wasn’t until a couple of months before production where I actually started to nail it consistently, and I was rehearsing it for three years. People think it’s easy, but it was so complicated. I learned through just repeating it over and over again. It became an obsession.

TELLER: What did it feel like that first day with Colman [Domingo] and Nia [Long] playing Michael’s parents, getting into that family dynamic? That had to be very cathartic.

JACKSON: I remember seeing Colman for the first time when I was at the Sony stages. He had a hair and makeup test, and he came and visited while I was on stage rehearsing. He was just standing on the side of the stage looking at me, but I didn’t know.

TELLER: The lion is watching.

JACKSON: After I finished the performance, I looked to the left and he’s there. I’m like, “Whoa.” Because that’s the first time seeing him. He walked up to me and we just hugged, and I really felt that love and protection from Colman throughout the entire shoot. It was crazy for me to see him bring Joseph [Jackson] to life. He was so locked in, and we weren’t even rolling. So when we were actually starting to roll weeks later, shooting at Hayvenhurst, there were so many things going on in my head while trying to be present. Past memories of seeing my grandpa in that same chair he was sitting in, or the same chain he was wearing, and then seeing Nia as my grandmother, having that love and that passion and those little subtleties that really make her who she is, it was very emotional. But at the same time, it allowed me to be there in that moment and to feel what Michael must have felt.

TELLER: What are you most excited about for the movie?

JACKSON: I’m most excited about people getting to understand Michael from a point of view they haven’t seen before, to feel the quiet moments. Because a lot of people are familiar with the iconic moments, but there’s a whole emotional layer that hasn’t ever really been seen. I feel like people will understand him a lot more. How do you humanize someone that there’s so many opinions on, so many different stories from so many different people? To me, it was starting at the beginning, focusing on his personal writings and speaking to people who were closest to him. I have very few memories with Michael as a kid, but some of those were very helpul and informative as well.

TELLER: Are you proud of all the work we’re talking about, that started in 2020 and is now finally coming out in 2026? Are you ready to be broadcast out to the world and show what you can do?

JACKSON: Man, I’m excited to share it. Michael definitely gave me that bug of wanting to act, through embodying him. I don’t know what’s after this, but I’m excited for whatever it is. I definitely want something completely different.

TELLER: What’s nice is that whatever you play next will not be anything remotely close to Michael Jackson. I can promise you that. We just felt like you walked onto set every day as Michael Jackson, and honestly, it was just so enjoyable to get to feel like a fly on the wall for that.

JACKSON: That’s great to hear, because I remember—and I’m not just saying this because I’m speaking to you, because I’ve shared this with Graham—when I was preparing, before you were even brought on, there are a few films I would watch to inspire me, and Whiplash helped me continue that repetition and obsession for greatness. So when Graham told me that he was having lunch with you, I was like, “Wait, I’d love that.” It was a full circle moment for me. I’m glad we got to share that on set.

TELLER: Yeah, and I’ll see you on the next one, hopefully. What did you find to be the toughest song performance? Filming long days with the performance expectations of Michael is tough, so I have to imagine it gave you such an appreciation for what he was able to do for so many years.

JACKSON: I always ask myself, “I wonder how Michael’s toes looked after all that training?” Because my toes started to transform, wearing those loafers and putting in the hours. But I would say the toughest one for me was “Billie Jean” from Motown 25, only because we would break down every movement frame by frame and match it. Every other performance was somewhat similar, just the structuring and the staging. But with other performances I had more freedom to apply my own instincts or feelings, within the vocabulary of Michael.

TELLER: That’s such an iconic performance, because on the tours and stuff there’s a good amount of material and we recreated it beautifully. But for that one, it’s like you can side-by-side it.

JACKSON: Yeah. So that was the toughest one, staying within the timing and also the style. And then learning ‘70s style Studio 54-era grooves, then the later era. It was just getting familiar with my own body and comfortable doing things that might look crazy or silly at first. But after doing it for many, many months or a couple of years, you find that confidence and you do it with a lot of belief.

TELLER: And the old question people still like to ask: Did you keep any props? Was there anything that fell off the truck, as they say?

JACKSON: Maybe I shouldn’t tell you that yet. [Laughs]

TELLER: Well, with the statute of limitations, they can’t come after you.

JACKSON: I definitely have a couple of things that meant a lot to me, but I did not just take them. I definitely ran it by a couple of people and got their blessings. I have a glove and the loafers.

TELLER: When’s the last time you put on the loafers?

JACKSON: Actually, a couple of days ago.

TELLER: Are you wearing them right now?

JACKSON: [Laughs] No, I only put them on if I’m rehearsing. So a couple of days ago I put them on.

TELLER: Do they still make those? Or was that just for Michael, and once he was no longer using them, they kind of went out of business?

JACKSON: You know what, I’m trying to find a new pair right now and it’s not that easy. Because the ones he had, there’s no rubber at the bottom for traction, it needs to be smooth. So you kind of have to find one that doesn’t have that, and it’s a little tricky.

TELLER: Well, I appreciate the heck out of you, man. I’m so proud of you and I truly cannot wait for people to be introduced to Jaafar Jackson. You’re in for quite the ride.

JACKSON: Thank you, Miles. I appreciate that. And there definitely was that love felt on set every day. I can’t wait for the world to celebrate it. Hopefully I’ll see you in Berlin, man.

TELLER: Yeah, I will be seeing you soon. First one for you in the books. That’s a wrap.

JACKSON: Thank you, brother. I’m glad it was with you.

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Grooming: Colleen Dominique using Sisley Paris at The Wall Group.

Photography Assistant: Francesca Coppola.

Fashion Assistant: Natalie O’Campo.

Production Direction: Alexandra Weiss.

Photography Production: Georgia Ford.

On-set Production: Cecilia Alvarez Blackwell.

Production Assistant: Justice Beverley.

Post-production: Alex Hainer.

Special Thanks: Palihouse Hollywood.