The three-week countdown to the April 24 release of MICHAEL has officially begun. Last night, Jaafar Jackson made his highly anticipated late-night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, marking the first time the public has seen the actor out of character. In a candid sit-down, Jackson also detailed the daunting preparation required to inhabit his uncle’s legacy.
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The 20-Day ‘Billie Jean’ Challenge
Perhaps the most striking revelation of the night was the test Jackson had to pass before director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King officially cast him. To prove he could handle the role, Jackson was given 20 days to learn the iconic “Billie Jean” performance from Motown 25 to prove he could play his uncle.
The ‘Thriller’ Connection: Union Pacific Avenue
Confirming one of the most talked-about production rumors, Jackson also discussed the decision to film the iconic “Thriller” dance sequence on Union Pacific Avenue in East Los Angeles—the exact same street where the original 1983 short film was shot. “The same exact location for two nights, all through the night. We actually had a full moon on one of those nights, which is crazy,” Jackson said, adding “Just being at that location … was incredible.”
When Fallon asked about the first time he saw himself in the full “Thriller” prosthetics (designed by Bill Corso), Jaafar admitted he needed a minute to fully grasp the reality. “It was really a surreal, a spiritual moment at the same time,” Jackson recalled. “You know, spending all those hours in the makeup chair. And thanks to the incredible Bill Corso, who’s the head of makeup on the film, just that process of seeing me slowly transform into Michael was, it was emotional”
The Fit Check
For his first late-night appearance, Jackson wore a polka-dot vest and trouser combo from the Kody Phillips SS26 collection.
At the time of this writing, Jackson’s interview clip has over 500K views on the official The Tonight Show YouTube channel.
Featured Photo: The Tonight Show
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Author Bio
Jael Rucker is the founder of Decked Out Magazine. She has previously worked as the Associate Commerce Editor at PureWow, focusing on analytics and trends to pitch stories and optimize articles that build and engage their audience. Her work has also been seen in Footwear News and WWD. Prior to 2024, she was the style and pop culture editor at ONE37pm for over three years, contributing numerous product reviews, brand profiles and fashion trend reports, which included interviewing Steph Curry, Snoop Dogg and more.
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