Michael Jackson‘s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, looked like the spitting image of his late uncle on the set of the upcoming biopic, Michael. The 27-year-old was seen rehearsing for the movie — where he’s portraying the King of Pop in his first major film role — on the first day of filming in Los Angeles on November 27. In footage obtained by the Daily Mail, Jaafar could be seen wearing an outfit similar to one of Michael’s iconic looks from his time on the stage. Jaafar had on a button up over a plain white shirt with a pair of black trousers. He stood in front of a white back drop and sang into an empty microphone on the film’s set, Daily Mail reported.
Jaafar is the second-youngest son of Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza. He was officially cast in the upcoming film about his uncle in January 2023. Director Antoine Fuqua posted a picture of Jaafar in rehearsals for the movie to announce the exciting news. “Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon,” Antoine wrote on Instagram.
Jaafar shared the same photo on his Instagram at the time and wrote, “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”
Filming on the biopic was shut down for several months due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood. During that time, the film’s director praised Jaafar’s talents and gushed over how well he channels his famous uncle in an interview Entertainment Weekly. “It’s uncanny how much he’s like Michael,” Antoine said in August. “Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.”
While the movie is Jaafar’s acting debut, he does have some experience singing and dancing. In 2019, Michael’s nephew released the music video for his song “Got Me Singing,” which features Jaafar showing off his impressive vocal skills and dance moves. He also appeared in his uncle Tito Jackson’s music video in 2021. Jaafar started his music career at 12 years old, according to his IMDb profile.