Prince Jackson Moved to Tears by Cousin’s Uncanny Portrayal of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s eldest son Prince Jackson says the most magical part of the Michael biopic will whisk fans back to the Jackson 5 days, delivering a rush of nostalgia, fun, and family.
Prince Jackson just gave a rare, thoughtful update on the Michael biopic, and yes, he went there: nostalgia, family, the whole emotional gut punch of watching someone you love come back to life on a movie set. If you grew up with The Jackson 5, he wants this thing to take you straight back. If you didn’t, he wants it to make sense anyway.
What Prince says is the magic
Talking to ABC News on Thursday, April 23, Prince, 29, said the film leans hard into the joy of the early days — the Jackson 5 era and that feeling of family, fun, and stage-bred electricity. His hope: older fans get the rush of recognition, younger audiences get a clear picture of how all that fame actually happened.
He is not just cheerleading from the sidelines, either — Prince is an executive producer on the movie. And the moment that broke him a little was seeing his cousin Jaafar Jackson, 29, fully done up as Michael for the first time.
"The first time that I saw him in person in his hair and makeup was really an emotional shock because I had not seen my father in a long time. Jaafar just embodied him and brought him back in that moment."
He admitted he had to step outside to keep it together. Not exactly surprising — biopics live or die on casting, and they clearly knew it.
The tricky part: authenticity without sanding off the person
Prince said the biggest hurdle was authenticity — not just getting the look right, but telling a story audiences of all ages can follow about who Michael was as a person. The goal, as he put it, was simple: tell Michael’s story in a way that actually tracks. In the process, Prince says he ended up learning a lot about his dad’s rise and has a deeper appreciation for how much work went into that stardom.
Release, cast, and who showed up
- Release: The movie hits theaters Friday, April 24.
- Lead: Jaafar Jackson (Michael’s nephew and Prince’s cousin) plays Michael.
- Also starring: Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, and Nia Long, among others.
- Prince’s role: Executive producer; calls watching Jaafar transform "one of the greatest experiences of my life."
- Family on set: Several extended family members spent time around the production and, according to Prince, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
- Premiere note: Paris Jackson and Janet Jackson did not attend the recent Los Angeles premiere.
A quick refresher on Michael
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, started with his siblings in The Jackson 5 before launching a massive solo career. He died in June 2009 at age 50. He was father to Prince (29), Paris (28), and Bigi (24).
Where Prince lands on the finished product now: he says Jaafar did more than meet expectations — he exceeded them. Prince’s words: he is blown away, inspired, and very proud. And the mission seems clear — bring the music and the person into focus, and make it a genuinely good time for, as he keeps saying, children of all ages.