On Monday, Nov 16, Jaafar Jackson will be honored for playing his uncle in the movie “Michael.”
The Critics Choice Association is giving him its Actor Award (Film) at its ninth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television in Los Angeles. Roy Wood Jr. hosts the night, and Jaafar will be honored alongside names like Chris Rock and Quinta Brunson. If you can’t be there, the show premieres on the association’s YouTube channel in December.
For anyone just catching up, Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s older brother. So the man playing Michael on the big screen is his real-life nephew.
This red carpet clip from TheWrap gives you a look at Jaafar on one of the biggest nights of his life so far, the premiere of “Michael.”
Jaafar Jackson on the red carpet at the “Michael” premiere
Most people know the Jacksons as one of the most famous big families in America. Michael grew up with eight brothers and sisters, and fans have spent decades keeping all of them straight.
So when actor Miles Teller interviewed Jaafar for Interview Magazine this year, family came up. Jaafar’s answer makes Michael’s childhood home sound almost roomy.
“I think it’s around 35 to 40 cousins. And I have nine brothers and two sisters.”
Do the math. Nine brothers and two sisters means Jaafar is one of 12 children. Michael was one of nine. The nephew’s family beat the King of Pop’s by three kids, and that’s before anybody starts counting cousins.
If you grew up in a big family, you’re probably already comparing his numbers with your own.
Growing up in that crowd also put Jaafar close to his uncle’s story. He spent his childhood at Hayvenhurst, the Jackson family home where Michael and his brothers and sisters grew up too.
“I lived there for 15 years,” he told Teller.
When he landed the role, he went back.
“I went back there and created a research room. There was a dance room where Michael used to train.”
Then he went a step further. “I started training there, and I slept in many different rooms in the house just to feel the energy,” he said.
Getting the dance moves right was only part of the job. On “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Jaafar talked about another piece of the puzzle. For most of us, it would be the hardest one.
Jaafar Jackson explains how he got Michael’s speaking voice
That’s a lot of homework for one movie. Plenty of actors prepare in a rehearsal studio. Jaafar set up shop in the house where his father and uncle grew up, the same house where he spent 15 years of his own life.
So when he collects that award on Monday, remember the count. He’s one of 12 kids, with somewhere around 35 to 40 cousins on top of that. Even by Jackson standards, that’s a crowd.