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Who plays Michael Jackson in the 2025 Michael movie?

Summary

  • Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's real-life nephew, is making his acting debut in the upcoming biopic
    Michael
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  • Juliano Krue Valdi portrays the young Michael during the Jackson 5 era and presents iconic hits like “ABC”.
  • The film features strong actors like Miles Teller and could explore darker moments in the King of Pop's career.


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The Michael Jackson biopic 2025, Michael, Casting some well-known debut actors to play the legendary King of Pop on his way to fame. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film chronicles the many ups and downs of Michael Jackson's career. These include his time with the Jackson 5, the creation of many of his iconic songs, and some of the many controversies surrounding the singer both during his career and after his death in 2009.


The film was announced in 2019 by Bohemian Rhapsody Producer Graham King, who secured the rights to produce a film about Jackson's life. The film was written by John Logan and distribution rights were acquired by Lionsgate in 2022. Film production was scheduled to begin in mid-2023, but was halted by the SAG-AFTA strikes and did not resume until early 2024.

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Michael Jackson's real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, plays him in “Michael.”

Michael is Jaafar's first acting role

Michael Jackson plays “Beat It” with his arms spread wide.


Jaafar Jackson plays his uncle in the Michael Jackson biopic, especially during the solo part of his career. Jaafar is the second youngest son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael's brother and former bandmate. Although this may be Jaafar's first acting role, like his uncle, he has some musical credits, including his single “Got Me Singing” and covers of songs by Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. He has also appeared in a few other projects with his family, including the series The Jacksons: Next Generation and the “Love One Another” music video for Tito Jackson.

Young Michael Jackson is played by Juliano Krue Valdi in the 2025 film

A young Michael Jackson growls in the “Beat It” music video.

Juliano Krue Valdi plays the King of Pop during his time in the Jackson 5. 9-year-old Valdi was an admirer of Jackson and explained that he loved the late singer's energy, and demonstrated that love on TikTok when he danced in Times Square dressed as Jackson to promote the film. Valdi portrays Jackson in his younger years, when he and his family created hits like “ABC” and “I Want You Back” before Jackson later became a solo entertainer.


The rest of the cast for Michael Included is Miles Teller, who plays one of Jackson's lawyers, John Branca, who also served as Jackson's manager for a time. This reflects King's desire for the biopic to explore Michael Jackson's darker moments, such as his financial decline and the controversy surrounding his last will and testament, in which Branca was instrumental. Other actors include: The colour purple Star Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson with Tre Horton, Rhyan Hill and Joseph David-Jones as remaining members of the Jackson 5 in their later years.

Michael
The premiere is scheduled for April 18, 2025 at the time of writing.