In partnership with Universal Pictures UK
Michael Jackson was a generational talent who changed pop music forever with his sinuous, genre-blending sound and performing style. But he couldn’t have done it alone. Here’s a guide to the formative figures who helped him to become the King Of Pop – and the accomplished actors who play them in Michael.
Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson
Jackson’s ambitious father, Joe, had a large influence on his early life. To improve his family’s financial prospects, he formed The Jackson 5, a tightly-rehearsed pop-R&B band featuring five of his sons including Michael. As their longtime manager, Joe was determined that his whole family should rise together.
This heavyweight figure is brought to life in Michael by a heavyweight actor: two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing). Discussing his approach to portraying the Jacksons’ patriarch, who died in 2018, Domingo says: “I wanted to look behind the curtain at what made him who he was. How did he hurt? How did he love? Where was he fragile? What was behind his extreme diligence as a father?” The result is a nuanced performance that captures the complexities of an incredibly driven man.
Nia Long as Katherine Jackson
Katherine married Joe Jackson in 1949 and went on to bear 10 children, one of whom died shortly after being born. She initially raised her family in a modest two-bedroom house in Gary, Indiana: its address, 2300 Jackson Street, was later immortalised in the title of The Jacksons’ final studio album.
Now 95, she remains the matriarch of the vast – and vastly successful – Jackson clan. Prolific actress Nia Long (Boyz N The Hood, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) plays her with layers of toughness and tenderness, especially in scenes where Katherine stands up to protect Michael’s interests.
Miles Teller as John Branca
Entertainment attorney and manager John Franca maintained a close professional bond with Jackson for much of his imperial phase. In 1985, he helped the singer to purchase ATV Music Publishing, which held the rights to the lucrative Lennon-McCartney song catalogue. Whiplash and Top Gun: Maverick actor Miles Teller plays him in Michael.
KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray
A former LAPD officer, Bill Bray worked as a security guard for the Jacksons and then Michael exclusively for a total of 25 years. He also served as head of security on all of the singer’s solo tours. “Bill is very careful and immensely professional in his job, but he doesn’t worry about things after the fact,” Michael wrote in his 1988 memoir Moonwalk. “He travels with me everywhere and occasionally he’s my only companion on short trips. I can’t imagine life without Bill.” He’s depicted in the film by KeiLyn Durrel Jones, whose TV credits include Succession and How To Die Alone.
Laura Harrier as Suzanne De Passe
This entertainment industry legend was a major player at Motown who later became a successful TV producer. After bringing The Jackson 5 to the label’s attention, she helped to sculpt the band’s highly commercial image and firecracker live shows. Then in 1973, she picked up an Oscar nomination for co-writing the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues. She’s depicted in Michael by Hollywood and BlacKkKlansman actress Laura Harrier.
Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones
When Michael wanted to turbocharge his solo career in the late ’70s, he teamed with Quincy Jones, a visionary composer and record producer who had worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin. Together, they made the album that turned MJ into a superstar, 1979’s disco-funk masterpiece ‘Off The Wall’, and a string of killer singles that defined pop for the next decade: ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Bad’. He is portrayed in Michael by Kendrick Sampson, who previously appeared in Issa Rae’s award-winning TV series Insecure and the acclaimed film Miss Juneteenth.
Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy
As the founder of agenda-setting record label Motown, which spearheaded the racial integration of pop music in the ’60s, Berry Gordy had an eye for talent and an ear for a hit. After signing The Jackson 5 in 1968, he co-wrote their first four chart-toppers: ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’. He is portrayed in Michael by TV and film veteran Larenz Tate, whose many credits include Crash, Ray and Girls Trip.
Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson
Skins alum Jessica Sula gives a lovely performance as Michael’s older sister and confidante. La Toya’s varied entertainment career includes releasing a string of dance-pop albums – Michael co-wrote and produced her 1980 single ‘Night Time Lover’ – and starring in her own reality series, Life With La Toya.
‘Michael’ is released in UK cinemas April 22