‘Michael’ Star Jaafar Jackson Never Planned to Become an Actor Before This Phone Call Changed Everything
When ‘Michael’ arrived in theaters on April 24, 2026, it did more than introduce a sweeping portrait of the King of Pop to a new generation. It simultaneously launched the acting career of a young man who, by his own admission, had absolutely no intention of ever standing in front of a movie camera.
The 29-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson grew up embedded in one of the most celebrated musical dynasties in history, yet his own early ambitions pointed somewhere entirely different. Before music ever came calling, Jaafar harbored genuine aspirations of becoming a professional golfer, with his interest in singing and dancing not even beginning until around the age of 12. Even once music took hold, acting remained completely off his radar.
That changed in 2020, when producer Graham King reached out with an idea that would reshape the trajectory of Jaafar’s life entirely. In an interview, Jaafar reflected on the moment with striking candor, saying, “Growing up, I wanted to be a golfer. I was into sports. I never dreamed of wanting to be an actor until the moment I had that conversation with producer Graham King.” Those words carry particular weight given everything that followed.
What followed was anything but a conventional audition. Rather than going through the usual channels, Jaafar sent King a voice note of himself speaking as Michael Jackson, and King called back immediately. King, the Oscar-nominated producer behind ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘The Aviator’, had already evaluated nearly 200 actors across a worldwide search before landing on Jermaine’s son. Describing that initial encounter, King told NME, “It was just a feeling of rightness that was so strong I couldn’t ignore it,” adding that there was “something so spiritual” about Jaafar that got him emotional.
Even after that first connection, the role was far from guaranteed, with Jaafar describing the full process as spanning multiple years and involving intensive acting coaching alongside rigorous dance training. He worked under the guidance of Rich and Tone Talauega, Michael’s own choreographers from the HIStory World Tour, and was given just 20 days at one critical point to prove he could execute the ‘Billie Jean’ material to the satisfaction of the filmmakers.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua with a screenplay by John Logan, ‘Michael’ opened to $97.5 million domestically in its debut weekend and has since crossed $423 million at the worldwide box office, with audiences awarding the film an A-minus CinemaScore even as critics remained more divided. Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “surprisingly effective middle-of-the-road biopic” and praised Jaafar for nailing the look, the voice, and the “electrostatic moves” that made his uncle iconic.
His grandmother Katherine Jackson said she could not always tell if what she was watching was Jaafar or Michael himself, a reaction Jaafar described as the highest compliment he could possibly receive. For a man who once had his sights firmly set on a very different kind of green, Jaafar Jackson’s pivot to acting may prove to be the most remarkable shot he has ever taken.
Let us know in the comments what you think about Jaafar Jackson’s unexpected journey from aspiring golfer to Hollywood’s newest leading man.
