By Samantha Ofole-Prince
The upcoming biopic on Michael Jackson may have sparked public disagreements among the Jackson family, but at the Berlin premiere on Friday, several members of the family were in full celebration and in support of the film.
Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson, has publicly distanced herself from the project, and Janet Jackson has also failed to fully support the project which stars her nephew, Jaafar, as the King of Pop.
“Michael” which is released in theaters, April 24, tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from lead of the Jackson Five group to his relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world.
The film highlights both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career and for Jaafar, son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother and former Jackson 5 member, the role was a challenging one.
“I have never acted before and never wanted to act so I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not,” he shared.
After training with an acting coach for several months and studying Michael’s videos, his lyrics, online footage Jaafar says his confidence grew.
“That’s when I knew I could embody him,” he added at the European red-carpet premiere of the film where the cast and filmmakers celebrated the film’s opening at the UberEats Music Hall in Berlin, Germany.
In attendance were cast members Nia Long, who plays Katherine Jackson, Juliano Valdi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Joseph David-Jones who plays Jackie Jackson, Miles Teller, director Antoine Fuqua, choreographers Richmond and Anthony Talauega and producer Graham King.
Photos by Ben Kriemann, Sebastian Reuter & Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Universal Pictures