Jaafar Jackson on portraying Michael Jackson in upcoming biopic: ‘I wanted to prove to myself…I can do this’

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Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in the upcoming film ‘Michael.’ (Lionsgate)

Jaafar Jackson opens up about his experience portraying the King of Pop in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic.

“I knew how challenging this would be to take on playing Michael Jackson, and it was not easy. Definitely wasn’t,” he says in Becoming Michael, a featurette released by Universal Pictures UK.

“I love challenges and I wanted to prove to myself, my family and the filmmakers that I, I can do this,” he says, noting he rehearsed “for hours and hours upon hours until one single move was right” and at times danced “until my feet would bleed or them go numb.”

“There’s so many times I would wake up sore [and] be like, ‘Should I go rehearse? Should I just take a break and let the body relax?’ Then the other part of me would be like, ‘No what would Michael do?'” he recalls.

When it was go time and he was in full costume, Jaafar says, “I had a couple moments to myself just saying like, ‘Wow. I’m really here. There’s no going back. It’s time to go out there and put on the best show ever.'”

Becoming Michael, now available on YouTube, also features behind-the-scenes moments of Jaafar on set practicing the choreography and includes interviews with Michael director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King.

Michael will give fans a front-row seat to the King of Pop’s life and career. Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo also star.

Early Access screenings in IMAX and Dolby will take place April 22; tickets are available on advance ticket sites. The film will then premiere April 24 in theaters nationwide, with tickets going on sale March 26.