Nia Long as Katherine Jackson in Michael. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson/Lionsgate

Glen Wilson/Lionsgate

Lionsgate’s highly anticipated biopic film, Michael, which has been a decade in the making, highlights how cultural legacy is inherited, protected, and redefined through music, impact, and global influence. The movie, directed by prolific director Antoine Fuqua, follows musical pop icon Michael Jackson’s journey to fame and details the turbulent lows and awe-inspiring highs, detailing his transition from the Jackson 5 in the 60s to embodying his creative freedom to eventually become the 'King of Pop’ to his adoring and supportive fans, before he died in 2009. With a stacked and talented cast, Colman Domingo as Michael’s father, Joseph "Joe" Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones, and Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson.

The film’s core cast shines through, along with their commitment and dedication to spotlight a global icon’s purpose, humanity, and mission through music and connection. Ahead of the film’s premiere, I had the opportunity to speak with Domingo, Long, Jackson, Fuqua, and Graham King, the film's producer, about the impact of the film beyond biography into a broader conversation about influence, responsibility, and creative stewardship, and what it means to uphold legacy with Michael.

Jackson was known in musical communities for striving to leave a lasting legacy – and many of his supporters believed he’d done so. Legacy is at the center of this film, as Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson, plays the artist.

Jaafar spent a significant amount of time training with his uncle’s choreographers to immerse himself in the role. The biopic is also his first professional acting role. "I wanted to dive into the hard work. I’ve heard stories from family members, and was involved in the sense of understanding what Michael’s work ethic was like, so the pressure was there, but I enjoyed it. It allowed me to be on top of myself and stay driven and focused," he told me during our interview in West Hollywood. "I believe that audiences will have an insight into Michael's background and see how some family dynamics were for him through several pivotal moments leading up to his independence, and what it was like for him to assert himself and have that creative freedom."

For Jaafar, showcasing his family’s illustrious history was top of mind. "For legacy, it’s really about highlighting the family as a whole. Joseph’s main focus was to keep the family together and convey the message of music and artistry. Michael really transcended that to an entirely different level once he had his solo career. I hope audiences have a better understanding of the foundation and the roots from the starting point of his career," he said. “Michael was a very deeply sensitive person to things that were going on in his hometown, Gary, Indiana, and around the world. He had a very sensitive heart, and he felt deeply. I know he wanted to influence the world for the better and speak to that through his music.”

Domingo chimed in, “This is Jaafar’s family, and he takes great strides in taking that responsibility to show the complexity, all of the light and joy, and ambition of someone like Michael and the family. At the center that’s what this film is about. This family is revered in so many different ways, because they continue to leave an indelible impact on not only American culture but world culture. That’s why we’re still listening to Michael and the Jacksons' music.”

Fuqua shared, "I hope the Jacksons will be very proud of Jaafar. I’m sure they will be. I hope they feel that we honored Michael's spirit and legacy as well. The Jacksons' music will live on forever. They stayed together as a family. They stuck together no matter what, and they still do. I think the film will introduce them to a whole new generation, and explain who the Jacksons were and where they came from."

On Shaping Michael:

Undoubtedly, both Graham and Fuqua had a daunting assignment: encapsulating Michael Jackson’s expansive career into a two-hour film, amid fan expectations, looming critical reviews, and a heavy responsibility to the Jackson family to execute properly. "It’s a different level when you’re making a biopic, because people are doing it for love of who they are telling the story about. People were coming out of retirement to work on the film because it carries so much weight," King shared.

He continued, "The press always gets on your case when you make a biopic, but you’re making a cinematic experience. There’s a younger generation who know Michael for sure, but they mainly know him from the ‘Bad’ era onward. We made a film that takes everyone back to how it all started, his drive as a 10-year-old boy to be the best anyone could ever be, and to show them that experience, not just moments they can see on YouTube. We wanted to get deeper into Michael’s character, into his personality and psyche. And it was no secret that Joe was a heavy-handed father. There's such a sensitivity to Colman in some of the Joe Jackson scenes. I think it worked."

Domingo could relate to the Jackson patriarch because he saw much of his own father in him. "I start to look at men like my stepfather, whose work ethic and putting food on the table was the way he showed love. He might not have been the most tender and softest. I infused Joe with a bit of my stepfather as well," he revealed. "To know Joe Jackson is to know and understand how Joe grew up, where he’s from, and what his ambition was as he grew his family. The moment I was approached to play him, I thought, 'Let me find out the center of this person.’ He’s not a character, he’s a person. Joe Jackson is popular in American culture, and while people may think of him one way, my job is to really excavate that and get to the core of who this person is. I found a hard-working man who really believed his children had extraordinary talents, and they relied on him to help them become the best they could be. He gave everything he had and built an empire with his family. I see that as formidable. He wanted what everyone wants: the American Dream. He wanted that for his family."

However, there’s no Joe Jackson without his gracious counterpart, Katherine Jackson, a role Long was primed to play given her close relationship with her two sons. However, she did feel the weight of stepping into such an immensely important role, as she reveres Katherine as the "grounding force" of the Jackson family. "The first week of shooting, I remember being like, 'Oh my god, what have I gotten myself into?’ But then you think about the importance of trusting the process, which is something Antoine [Fuqua] reminded me to do every single day. I really prayed a lot. I needed to trust what felt good to me, because it’s my interpretation of an amazing woman," she said. “Jaafar and Colman are amazing, and we had such great chemistry that you get into a rhythm with your family. We created a new family, and that's the safety I'm talking about on set that allowed me to do what I thought Katherine needed to do in this film.”

Long’s performance of the matriarch felt lived-in and intimate. On embodying Katherine Jackson’s gentle but confident spirit, Long said, “I have so much respect for her as a woman, as a mother, as a matriarch of the Jackson family, and so I was really careful with every choice that I made and everything was very thoughtful, and I was patient with myself, and I also went against some of my own instincts with some of the other women that I’ve played, and there’s a quiet strength to Katherine that is the force behind the Jackson family. And so it was a privilege and an honor to play the role.”

Long, who revealed that she studied the culture of Michael Jackson’s many standout eras to help her get into character, researched it thoroughly. "I read a lot about what was going on in the world during that time. I took moments to understand her [Katherine Jackson’s] religious practices. I sat with Marci Rodgers, our costume designer, and talked about her wardrobe for days, and with Carla Farmer, our department heads for on-set hair. It was the support of many that helped me create the character," she told me. "Obviously, our amazing director, Antoine [Fuqua], helped with the process. Graham King and I also spoke for hours. I remember crying on the phone with him. There was a grounded spiritual connection to this process. It wasn't like, 'Oh, we're just gonna show up to work and do these characters.' So it was very thoughtful," she shared.

Long believes that Katherine seamlessly embodied quiet authority and enduring strength. "She knew when to push, when to pull back, and when to be firm with her position in family matters. And that’s the grace, right? That's knowing who you are as a woman, knowing what your role is in your family, and loving your children beyond measure," she stated.

The actress says it’s an "honor and privilege" to be considered part of the Jackson family legacy, and she doesn’t take it for granted. "Honestly, I don’t take this lightly. I hope she [Katherine Jackson] is happy with the film. There are characters that you pour into, and then there are characters that pour into you, and I think the research and the time that I spent preparing really poured into me," she said. “I'm a boy mom, so I understand what that also means, and my children are the center of my world, and they come first. So that was already in me, but when I think of Katherine Jackson, I really think of grace. That's the word that comes to mind when I think of her, it's grace.”

As far as Long’s legacy goes, she tries not to think about it much. "I really try not to think about that. And that’s my honest answer, because if you get ahead of yourself, you’re just preparing yourself for disappointment. I have gotten to a place in my life where I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and if you stay true to the art and you are deliberate about your choices, it [legacy] happens exactly the way it's supposed to happen," she said.