Capturing the essence of the world’s greatest entertainer for a movie is a massive challenge. When Jaafar Jackson took on the leading role to play his uncle in the official biopic, he had to dive deep into Michael’s legendary discography.
While the movie features jaw-dropping recreations of major stadium hits, JAAFAR OPENLY REVEALED THAT HIS ABSOLUTE FAVORITE MICHAEL JACKSON SONG didn’t make the movie’s performance tracklist.
Jaafar Talks About His Childhood Obsession Here
Jaafar admitted that, as a kid, he genuinely believed his uncle possessed superpowers after watching the “Smooth Criminal” music video for the first time.
He was completely obsessed with the 1930s gangster-lounge aesthetic, the sharp fedoras, and how incredibly stylish everyone in the video was.
More than anything, he spent years staring at the iconic anti-gravity lean, trying to figure out the physics-defying trick behind it.
Even though fans will not see a full, top-to-bottom lounge recreation of Smooth Criminal in the film, JAAFAR USED HIS PERSONAL OBSESSION WITH THAT SPECIFIC TRACK TO MASTER MICHAEL’S SHARP, SIGNATURE ATTITUDE during his intense pre-production training.
Jaafar Reveals Why He Loves “Smooth Criminal”
Even after all these years of playing multiple Michael Jackson songs, “Smooth Criminal” remains Jaafar’s favorite.
The stylish energy and crisp movements of that era heavily influenced how he tackled the other 1980s dance numbers that made the final cut.
Maybe this is another song that will be featured in the Biopic “Michael” sequel. Only one way to find out!