Jaafar Jackson in full performance mode as Michael Jackson on the official movie poster, capturing a high-energy stage moment.
Decked Out Originals (MJ Archive)

The Essence of the Move: Excerpts from Jaafar Jackson and Miles Teller’s Interview Magazine

The anticipation for the April 24 premiere of Michael has reached a fever pitch, but the latest feature from Interview Magazine might be the most revealing look yet at the transformation of Jaafar Jackson. In a conversation moderated by his co-star Miles Teller (who portrays attorney John Branca), Jaafar sheds the “nephew” label to discuss the grueling journey to transforming into, well, Michael Jackson.

Below are the essential excerpts from the Jaafar Jackson x Miles Teller Interview Magazine feature.

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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.

Jackson on the Filming Process

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 on What He’s Most Excited About for the Movie

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.

Featured Photo: Lionsgate

You can read the full interview here.

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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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