'Michael' star Jaafar Jackson says uncle's story is 'not finished being told'

A few hours before making his Met Gala debut, Jaafar Jackson radiates a calmness that belies the hoopla surrounding him lately.

Jackson, 29, stars as his uncle Michael Jackson in “Michael,” the box-office-shattering biopic of the singular performer.

Professional reviews of the film have leaned abrasive, with many taking exception to the timeline that ends years before unsavory allegations emerged about (Michael) Jackson. But even “Michael” detractors have acknowledged the superb portrayal by Jackson the younger family member, who inhabits the role to uncanny perfection.

As the film rolls toward a half-billion-dollar worldwide gross, it’s clear that critical dissection is irrelevant when it comes to an entertainment figure whose music and performances were, simply, unmatched.

Calling from his New York hotel room before dressing in Polo Ralph Lauren for the celebrity fashion extravaganza, a humble Jackson chatted about re-creating the life of an icon and plans for a “Michael” sequel.

Question: This movie has been such a record-shattering success. Did the response exceed your expectations?

Jaafar Jackson: You don't really think of the end result because I was so focused on what I was preparing to do and taking a day at a time. But then you have those moments when you think, “Oh, how's it going to really play once it's released?” And then just the first 24 hours seeing all the social media posts and videos that were shared of people dancing in the theater, coming out in their outfits – I couldn't have been happier to see the joy and love that the film brought to a lot of people. It definitely exceeded my expectations.

Whose reaction to the film mattered most to you?

My grandmother (Katherine Jackson).

I thought you might say that.

That was the one I was most nervous to hear or to just have her see the film. But then when I had that moment where she just hugged me and said how proud she was and how excellent I did in the film, that really kind of washed everything away. That's all that mattered. Still, the highest compliment I can get is from her.

Does being Michael's nephew feel like an advantage or a responsibility or both?

It’s a culmination of both. Having those close family ties definitely gives you a bigger responsibility going into it but also allows me to trust my instincts even more, knowing we share the same blood. But at the same time, how do I carry that and not look at it as I'm just a family member playing a family member and look at it as really breaking down the character of who Michael was as a human being?

Was there anything about Michael that you knew from being part of the family dynamic that helped you portray him?

The stories I've heard of his work ethic and how disciplined he was with being a perfectionist. It could be one single move he'd work on for five or six hours. I always remember hearing the story where he would rehearse until he wasn't able to walk up a flight of stairs. I would take that and apply it in my own way of how disciplined I would be with my moves or working on the script. … Always staying curious and wanting to learn more, that's something that I was able to learn from stories from my father (Jermaine Jackson) and uncles who were around him during those pivotal years.

How long did you train for the role?

It started with the acting first. I was brought into it around 2021.

Wow, so it's been five years.

I know! I was working with an acting coach, Angela Gibbs, and we started working on different scenes just to see where my instrument was, where I was in my body, and how comfortable I was in front of a camera or having people look at me. I didn't get into the dancing side of it until a year after just focusing on the acting. So I had about 3½ years of being able to live in that mindset of preparing.

What was the hardest to master, whether Michael’s voice or a move or gesture?

I feel like I didn't master anything. I just got as close as I possibly could to where it felt believable. Every performance had its own difficulty of wanting to capture a certain energy. “Billie Jean” was very specific because it was staying true to that performance frame-by-frame and wanting to capture every detail as close as I possibly could without losing the feeling of it.

What performance was the most challenging to re-create?

“Thriller,” because there were only about four or five days to really go over that choreography. I felt very self-conscious with that one because I had so much time focusing on the “Billie Jean” and “Bad” performances but “Thriller” felt a little different. But I was happy being on that set and seeing the zombies. It was incredible.

And you re-created the “Thriller” video on the same street as the original?

Yeah, we shot at the exact same location and shot all through the night for two nights in a row. Those were probably the most incredible shooting days out of (everything), just to be in that space where Michael truly created a video that would stand the test of time.

What's your favorite Michael video, just as a fan?

Always “Smooth Criminal.”

Because of “the lean”?

Even before the lean; it's just the whole world of it. The way it's shot, the colors and the wardrobe. And then the song comes in and fully immerses you into that world. But I also love the “Moonwalker” short film.

What do you hope that audiences understand about Michael that maybe they hadn’t before?

I really hope they see the vulnerability that he carried and also the passion and drive to strive for the independence he longed for. He had all that experience with the Jackson 5, but then got to a point where he wanted to create his own ideas. He had a vision for himself.  Of course, (his father) Joseph was that person in the way of Michael getting to that independence. But Michael had the courage to take that next step.

From the “Michael” footage that was cut, do you think there's enough to do a sequel?

His story's not finished being told. So it's in the early process of figuring that out. I can't wait to see what comes next.

How long would it take you to get into training mode to step back into that role?

Definitely not as long as it took me the first time. It would probably take a few months.

You and your fiancée (Maddie Simpson) have been together almost 10 years, and she’s been so supportive of you. What are you most grateful for, having her in your life right now?

Always being able to come home and feel that support. To have that presence and feel the love and feel that peace. If you're surrounded by a bunch of noise and being pulled in many directions, you want to be able to come home and be grounded and have someone you know, you truly love, who has a real deep understanding of what it is that I'm going through. I really appreciate that I have her in my life.

What is next for you now that you’ve played someone so iconic?

I definitely won't be doing another role that has any dancing or singing. Something that really allows me to transform into someone else where it's unexpected. Just the complete opposite of what “Michael” is. … I don't know what that is in particular, but I'm really excited about being able to change and transform into different people.