Years before Thriller made Michael Jackson the biggest pop star on the planet, producer Rob Cohen worked closely with him on the 1978 musical The Wiz. Cohen would later remember Michael’s talent, dancing and dedication, but one of his most vivid memories had nothing to do with performing. It happened when they simply went out to eat.
Cohen recalled that Michael was vegetarian at the time and often ordered steamed vegetables. Before eating them, Michael would quietly apologize, saying things such as “I’m sorry, Mr. Carrot” and “I’m sorry, Mr. Broccoli.” Cohen saw the little ritual as an example of how unusually sensitive Michael seemed toward people and living things around him.
Michael Jackson Behind the Scenes During The Wiz
The story came from an important turning point in Michael’s life. In The Wiz, he played the Scarecrow alongside Diana Ross while Quincy Jones served as musical supervisor. Michael threw himself into the role and the production brought him into much closer contact with Jones.
Cohen remembered watching that connection form during work on “Ease on Down the Road.” He said Jones reacted immediately when he heard Michael sing his part in the studio. Their partnership soon continued beyond the movie, with Jones producing Off the Wall, then Thriller and Bad.
That makes the vegetable story more revealing than it first sounds. Cohen had watched Michael perform, record and work around some of the biggest names in entertainment. Yet decades later, one of the things he remembered most clearly was the young singer sitting at dinner and feeling compelled to apologize to the food on his plate.
Michael Jackson would eventually redefine pop music through albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller, unforgettable performances and a style of dancing recognized around the world. But Cohen’s tiny dinner-table memory captured a very different Michael before that level of superstardom arrived. Watch the behind-the-scenes footage from The Wiz and see Michael during the period when this unusual story reportedly took place.