An actor has been tapped to play Michael Jackson in an upcoming film. Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s “double” nephew, will play his uncle in film.
Jaafar is the sixth of seven children of Michael’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson. Jaafar’s mother is Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza . But there’s a twist: Alejandra had two children with Jermaine’s younger brother, Randy, with whom she was in a relationship before the one with Jermaine. So her children are first cousins to their half siblings. It’s a unique situation.
Jaafar, whose name may have been inspired by “The Lion King,” looks a lot like Michael before the plastic surgery and the vitiligo and skin whitening. He’s also talented, as witness the video below. He says in a Tweet: “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”
It’s ironic that it’s Jermaine’s child who will play Michael. The tension between the two brothers built to a peak while Michael was alive, and after the younger brother split from the Jackson 5 to have a huge solo career. Jermaine resented the success, and wrote a damning book about Michael. On the other hand, Michael’s long time PR man, Bob Jones, wrote in his book that Michael subverted Jermaine’s career.
The movie, directed by Antoine Fuqua and producer by Graham King, has nothing to do with the hit Broadway musical, “MJ.” It’s unclear if it will, like the musical, go beyond the “Thriller” years and cover the less savory parts of Michael’s life. Because the estate is controlling it, that’s doubtful, however — and also, nothing anyone wants to see on the big screen.
