Michael Jackson’s son Prince reveals his takeaway watching ‘Michael’ film

[0:00] A new movie about Michael Jackson is giving audiences a front row seat to the king of pop [0:04] as never seen before. The biopic Michael chronicles MJ's rise to global fame starting [0:10] from the discovery of the Jackson 5 to his transition into a solo artist. And fun fact, [0:15] Jafar Jackson, who plays Michael in the film, is the late singer's nephew. Let's take a look. [0:22] I have all these songs in my head. Just got to get them out. [0:29] And joining us now is one of the film's executive producers, the eldest son of [0:43] Michael Jackson, Prince Michael Jackson. Prince, so great to have you on the show. Thank you. [0:49] Thank you so much for having me. Happy to be here. [0:51] So your dad, having been such a public figure, an icon, really, a lot is out there about him already. [0:58] What can people expect to learn about the king of pop in this film that they don't already know? [1:02] I think one of the most magical things about this film is for those of us that were lucky enough to [1:07] grow up with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons, hopefully it will reinstigate that feeling of [1:12] nostalgia and fun and family. And for those of us, like myself and younger, that never got to [1:18] experience that, I hope that it contextualizes the growth and the rise to stardom and the hard [1:24] work and effort that my father put into it, my father and my family. And overall, just be a really [1:30] fun, entertaining time for children of all ages, from 9 to 90, you know? [1:35] And I imagine that the making of this film was very personal and tough at times. It was [1:40] also Jafar's first acting gig. What was the process like in telling your dad's story? [1:45] Um, I mean, first and foremost, authenticity is the biggest challenge in any story. And especially [1:53] my father having such an incredible life that spans five decades of him being at the top of his career, [1:59] we wanted to approach it from a way that audiences again of all ages could understand who he was as [2:06] a person. We all know the story of the King of Pop, but I think this was our goal was to tell the story [2:11] of Michael, how he started from the small home they grew up in in Gary, Indiana to arrive at the biggest [2:17] stages and the biggest platforms all around the world. And the research that we started off when I met [2:23] Graham King in 2019 and beginning of 2020, sitting down and speaking with various family members or [2:31] people who worked with him and knew him. And I had heard a lot of these stories growing up. But when [2:35] you approach these conversations with a perspective from a research point, I feel like it pushed them [2:41] into a conversation where I learned so much about my dad that I maybe had heard before, but I didn't [2:47] truly appreciate until I got to see it in person. Would you be able to share one of those things that [2:52] that maybe you were learning for the first time about your father? Well, I had always heard from [2:57] my dad and from the family how much work it took to get to where they are and where they were. And for [3:03] me, hearing those stories, seeing them and seeing it emulated in my cousin Jafar and him taking all of [3:10] that work and dedication and time really put into perspective, you know, this was not easy to achieve. [3:17] And to the levels that they achieved and how much work and dedication went in there, [3:22] all while being a family man, being a man of the people and giving back. I don't know how he did [3:29] it and I don't know how Jafar has done it, but I'm just blown away. I'm inspired and I'm very proud. [3:36] Of course, this is a family affair. Tell us how it was watching your cousin Jafar transform [3:42] into this role of your dad. One of the greatest experiences of my life, [3:47] growing up with Jafar as we did at Havenhurst, his siblings, his cousins, making home movies to now, [3:53] here we are making a major motion picture about my father, his uncle, someone we both love very much. [3:59] The, I had gotten the benefit of seeing Jafar's kind of transformation over phone, like pictures [4:07] that I had seen on a phone or a computer. But the first time that I saw him in person in his hair and [4:12] makeup was really an emotional shock because I had not seen my father in a long time. And to see him, [4:19] Jafar just embodied him and brought him back in that moment. And it was difficult to maintain [4:25] and keep composure because I really just wanted to give him a hug in that moment. But I had to tell [4:29] him like, Jafar, I'm proud of you. You're going to do great, but I need to take a little step outside [4:34] and get some air. [4:35] Understood. And of course, the Jackson family is a big family, lots of cousins. [4:41] What's their reaction been about the movie? [4:43] I think it's been overwhelmingly positive during the production of the film. A lot of our cousins [4:49] and family members came to watch the performances or they came to watch Jafar perform. And from the [4:56] beginning, I think as family, we're very supportive and we were every bit confident that Jafar would [5:01] perform. But I'm happy to say, I think that Jafar greatly exceeded our expectations. Just [5:07] only speaking for myself, I am blown away with what he has done here. [5:10] With all the amazing accomplishments that your father had in his life, he was [5:15] also surrounded by controversy. What do you hope that people around the world and his fans take away [5:21] from this movie? [5:21] I think that my father is probably one of the most misunderstood people out there. And I hope that [5:28] you get a glimpse into the life and the cause and effect that made him who he was. I know when I [5:34] finished reading the script early on, for me, it felt like a culmination of who my dad was, [5:40] because I had heard these stories growing up that he had told me himself or that other family members [5:45] had shared with me. And to see it packaged in a way with it's like a beginning, middle and end, [5:51] it made me closer to the story in a way. Also just having the benefit of reliving it with my cousin on [5:58] production or in production on set was a really, honestly, a therapeutic experience and one that [6:04] I'm eternally grateful for. You have a nonprofit that was inspired by your father and you're very [6:10] passionate about it. It's called Heal Los Angeles Foundation. Tell us about it. So we, I take great [6:16] inspiration and pride in my father and everything that he's accomplished. And one of the most important [6:21] things I feel is he was, is the greatest of all time, always will be, but he still made time to give [6:28] back and used his platform to highlight social needs that we all need to come together. And [6:34] that's where we take inspiration at the Heal Los Angeles Foundation is we want to inspire young people [6:39] to be their best and to give them the tools that they need to succeed. You brought several families [6:45] that you helped through the foundation to the LA premiere of the movie. What was that moment like [6:48] for them? So special for me because I started John Muto, the co-founder of Heal Los Angeles. We've [6:55] known each other for 10 years. We've been working together for 10 years. When I graduated from Loyola [7:00] Marymount University in 2019, is around the same time we started the development on this Michael [7:05] film. So the development of the foundation and my father's film have kind of gone hand in hand [7:10] and working with the families at Laredo Street Elementary and hearing their excitement for my father's [7:15] film coming out and sharing little tidbits, maybe what I shouldn't have with them, was really cool. [7:20] And so to bring them there, for me, I always want to try and bring in that sense of philanthropy and [7:25] charity to anything that I do. And it just felt like such a natural tie-in to bring these families [7:31] from the school that we serve. Michael Bush was the costume designer for my father. He designed the [7:36] suit that I was wearing. And actually, the armband was made out of the fabric that my dad would always [7:42] wear, the red corduroy shirt. And that was my childhood. Like if I hugged my father, that was what he was [7:47] wearing. And to have a piece of that and share it with the kids and the families meant so much to me. [7:53] Signature Michael Jackson. Prince Michael Jackson, we thank you so much for joining us. [7:59] Michael will be in theaters starting tomorrow.