Jaafar Jackson has shared insights into his preparation for the film Michael, revealing that he drew inspiration from the 2014 movie Whiplash.
Jaafar Jackson portrayed Michael Jackson in the biopic Michael, which premiered on April 24. As the nephew of the legendary pop star, Jaafar’s performance has been highly praised, and the movie has seen significant box office success.
During a recent interview, when asked about other films he might have watched for preparation, Jaafar responded (h/t Discussing Film):
“There were times where I’d put ‘Whiplash’ on in my process because I always felt a lot of motivation from that film.”
Fans have reacted to Jaafar’s comment online, with one X (formerly Twitter) user stating:
“Using ‘Whiplash’ as preparation for playing Michael Jackson actually makes perfect sense. Obsession, perfectionism, pressure, discipline… the parallels are crazy.”
Another user commented,
Another tweet read,
Opinions on Jaafar Jackson’s remarks were mixed. One user commented,
Another tweet stated,
Another comment noted,
The film Whiplash was released in January 2014, featuring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. It explores the intense relationship between a drummer, Andrew Neiman (Teller), and his demanding mentor, Terence Fletcher (Simmons), who pushes him to his limits using unconventional methods.
Miles Teller also appears in Michael, playing the role of John Branca.
Also Read: “It’s all smoke & mirrors”: Jaafar Jackson opens up about key takeaways from family as he prepares for life after Michael
Jaafar Jackson on Preparing for His Role as Michael Jackson
Jaafar Jackson discussed his thorough preparation for his role as Michael Jackson in the biopic, acknowledging the scriptwriters’ contributions and detailing his own research methods. In an interview with Pop Base, published on April 8, he explained:
“So many different things. It started really with collecting as much footage as I could of Michael, as much audio I could find of him speaking in interviews, or, really, for me, I went to find the moments that he wasn’t aware he was on camera.”
“To really get those, uh, really, you know, candid moments, where how he would behave, how he would speak, or even him eating little, nuanced things I tried to find as much as I could, uh, and really bounce that with the performances, and really, uh, immerse myself in watching it completely over and over again, until it was just innate in my mind,” he added.
Jaafar also credited his co-stars, such as Colman Domingo and Nia Long, for enhancing his performance. He said:
“And then I kind of put that away, and just allowed myself to be informed by the script and explore new things, and I had incredible coaches. I was surrounded by, and also to be able to put that into action once I was on set, and to bounce off of Colman [Domingo], and Nia [Long] was incredible. That energy on the set was a learning experience every single day.”
Colman Domingo took on the role of Joe Jackson, while Nia Long portrayed Katherine Jackson in the film.
Also Read: What did New York Post recently write about the Jackson family? Michael Jackson’s nephew Taj threatens to sue media giant
Edited by Aditya Singh
