Bill Bray.
It’s not a name you would know unless you are very familiar with the life and times of Michael Jackson…until now, at least. Yet, Bray was quietly a very important figure in Jackson’s life, first meeting Jackson as a child in the early 1970s, when he was hired to be his bodyguard. Bray would continue to work for Jackson for well over 20 years, with Jackson himself calling Bray a father figure. A quiet but strong figure, Bray also made his presence known in a quiet way, which was something KeiLyn Durrel Jones nails in his portrayal of him.
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“It means the world to me to have my goals and dreams inexplicably tied to somebody like Michael Jackson, and have the pleasure to honor a man like Bill Bray, who supported an icon,” Jones tells us when asked about the opportunity to take on the role of Bray. Jones continues, “Yes he (Jackson) was an icon, but he still had those quiet moments where he needed safety and security, and I think Bill was definitely somebody who cultivated that safe space for him. I was really honored and flattered to be part of it.”
And as for his preparation? “I’m not father myself but I am an uncle,” Jones says, adding, “With many of my peers, I am the uncle to their kids, and I was raised by a single father, so I have many uncles and mentors of my own. Aside from building the character, the man himself, I just tried to tap into that energy that I am so familiar with on the receiving and giving end of that paternal energy of just being proud or protecting or being watchful, or whatever that energy needs on any given moment…I just really tried to tap into that.
And, above all, the humanization element is the most important thing when it comes to the takeaway of this film. “This is a man who, for all intents and purposes, was a global superstar since he was 8/9/10-years-old to the rest of his life. So, the pressure he must have been on, and sometimes self-imposed pressure, but the pressure he must have had on his life was daunting. To know that he also had those quiet moments where he felt insecure, and when he was in pursuit of his personal independence and creative independence…where he was feeling insecure, scared, curious or whatever the case may be…it was finding solace in the fact that if somebody like that could have those thoughts and feelings and overcome them, then all of us can too, and that it’s based in self-love, positive self-speak, affirmations, mantras and things like that. That was something I didn’t know that Michael was practicing and privy to. I know it’s very much in the zeitgeist now, but he (Michael) was doing this 30, 40, 50 years ago, so needless to say he was probably ahead of his time, and it’s something we can learn from.
Featured Photo: Lionsgate
Michael is in theaters now.
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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.