The premiere of the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," sparked emotion and reflection in Los Angeles on Monday, as cast members and the Jackson family shared the extent of the efforts undertaken to bring the King of Pop's story to life.
Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson, said that his preparation went far beyond the performance and extended to the unseen details of Michael's daily life.
“Probably just the things he ate, what he watched, what he listened to to fall asleep. Yes, a lot of things that weren’t filmed. Just to allow me to really live in that world and make everything more natural. So, when I arrived on set, all of that was already a part of me. I didn’t need to get into character.”
The novice actor also described the meticulous process of capturing Michael Jackson's evolution on stage, studying not only the performances, but also the mindset behind them.
“I really came in after having analyzed a lot of videos and also having a clear idea of how Michael felt after each performance, which was difficult to achieve because none of that is online, but I knew he wasn’t satisfied with the Motown performance, particularly the toe turn and also the moonwalk, but that gave me the freedom not to try to do it perfectly, you see, for Motown 25 and to allow myself to progress through the eras and changes.”
For the Jackson family, the film evoked both pride and emotion. LaToya Jackson stated that seeing her father portrayed on screen was particularly moving.
"It was touching and yes, of course, I cried. However, Colman did a fabulous job in the role of my father and I'm very proud of him too."
Jackie and Marlon Jackson, original members of the Jackson 5, discussed the family's journey to worldwide success, highlighting the hard work behind the fame.
"We worked hard, and that's what you have to do. That's what Michael did. That's what we all did. You have to work hard. If you have a goal in life, you have to work hard to succeed," said Jackie Jackson.
Marlon Jackson added: "But believe me, when we were kids, we didn't realize it. We didn't understand, you know, why my dad made us rehearse over and over again, but as you grow up, you realize he saw something we didn't. And we made music because we enjoyed it, without realizing the scale, the global reach, all over the world, that we had."
"Michael" will be released in theaters on April 24th.
