All about Jaafar Jackson, nephew of the late King of Pop, and his costars.

See the Michael Jackson biopic cast and the real people they’re playing

All about Jaafar Jackson, nephew of the late King of Pop, and his costars.

By Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at ** with over nine years of experience. An award-winning journalist, she’s written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more.

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April 22, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET

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Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in 'Michael'. Credit:

Glen Wilson/Lionsgate

It was inevitable that a biopic about Michael Jackson would be released. The legendary King of Pop's tumultuous career is finally being depicted on the big screen on April 24, nearly 17 years after his death at the age of 50. Simply titled *Michael*, the film is expected to show Jackson's early life as part of the Jackson 5 through his mega-successful solo career.

Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, is stepping into his uncle's iconic, moonwalking shoes for what will be his film debut. Surrounding Jaafar is an impressive cast of contemporary stars and veteran actors, including Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, and Kendrick Sampson. Ahead, find our guide to who's playing who in *Michael*, along with tidbits they've shared about playing their respective real-life roles.

Jaafar Jackson (Michael Jackson)

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in 'Michael'; Michael Jackson at the opening of the stage musical 'Dreamgirls' in 1983, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Glen Wilson/Lionsgate; Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty

When you're dealing with the Jackson clan, it has to be a family affair. Jaafar Jackson, the King of Pop's actual nephew, portrays the music legend, marking his first role in any feature film.

"It's uncanny how much he's like Michael," Fuqua told EW in 2023. "Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It's really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away." If you don't believe him, just take a look at the picture.

Juliano Krue Valdi (Young Michael)

Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael Jackson in 'Michael'; Michael Jackson poses for a portrait session on June 12, 1971, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Glen Wilson/Lionsgate; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Finding someone to embody the preternaturally talented young Michael is a tall order. Fuqua found his boy in 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi, who has been sharing videos of himself dancing to Jackson's music for years and amassed almost 150,000 Instagram followers in the process.

Colman Domingo (Joe Jackson)

Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson in 'Michael'; Joe Jackson at his home in 1984, in Encino, Calif.

Lionsgate; David Hume Kennerly/Getty

After back-to-back Best Actor Oscar nominations for 2023's *Rustin* and 2024's *Sing Sing*,* *Colman Domingo is booked and busy, including as the notorious Jackson patriarch. Joe Jackson has long remained a controversial figure thanks to his reputation as a hard-driving, singularly focused man.

"Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex, and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front-row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation," Domingo reflected in 2024 when news of his casting was announced. Perhaps his third Oscar nomination is on the horizon?

Nia Long (Katherine Jackson)

Nia Long as Katherine Jackson in 'Michael'; Katherine Jackson during a promotional appearance to announce the Jackson family reunion special 'Jackson Family Honors' on Aug. 30, 1993.

Glen Wilson/Lionsgate; Dave Hogan/Getty

Jackson found his greatest champion in his mother, Katherine Jackson, who is portrayed by Nia Long (1991's *Boyz N the Hood*, 1997's *Love Jones*).

"Katherine Jackson is an incredible pillar of strength and grace for the entire Jackson family," Long said in a 2024 statement released by Lionsgate. "As a mother, she was selfless and endured forces beyond her control yet still managed to help build a legacy beyond measure. I am honored to bring her voice to the screen and share Michael Jackson's story with audiences everywhere.”

Miles Teller (John Branca)

Miles Teller as John Branca in 'Michael'; John Branca in an office.

Lionsgate; Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty

There's Michael Jackson's biological family, and then there's John Branca — the unyielding attorney who was at Jackson's side for more than three decades. Branca was instrumental in helping to usher Jackson from a fresh-faced boy-bander to a solo artist dubbed the King of Pop.

Miles Teller is no stranger to playing behind-the-scenes figures in biopics, having portrayed *The Godfather* producer Albert S. Ruddy in the Paramount+ miniseries *The Offer*. Now he'll embody one of the most enduring figures in Jackson's life. "Miles' finely tuned skills as an actor are up to the challenge of playing a man who is being examined for the pivotal role he played in Michael Jackson's life," Fuqua said in a statement released by Lionsgate in 2024. As one of the coexecutors of Jackson's estate, Branca is serving as a producer on the film.

Jayden Harville and Jamal R. Henderson (Jermaine Jackson)

Jayden Harville; Jermaine Jackson posing for a portrait in 1970; Jamal L. Henderson.

Courtesy Lionsgate; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Lionsgate

When you come up in the family business, it's going to take a village to bring your story to life. That's the case with Michael Jackson, who first rose to fame as the youngest, most precocious member of the Motown group, the Jackson 5. To make his biopic, you need to feature his brothers and bandmates.

Jayden Harville and Jamal R. Henderson share the role of Jermaine Jackson, with Harville as the younger version and Henderson as the older. Harville makes his film debut here, while Henderson has previous credits, including an episode of *Mindhunter.*

Jermaine Jackson was a member of the Jackson 5 and later the Jacksons (the new name for the group after some family members departed). He has devoted much of his career to music producing and appeared on the reality TV shows *Celebrity Big Brother*, *Gone Country, *and *Celebrity Wife Swap*. He serves as an executive producer for *Michael*.

Jaylen Lyndon Hunter and Tre Horton (Marlon Jackson)

Jaylen Lyndon Hunter; Marlon Jackson posing for a portrait in 1970; Tre Horton.

Courtesy Lionsgate; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Lionsgate

“The truly epic nature of this film required a total of 10 actors with the talent to portray the Jackson 5 through the years,” said producer Graham King in a statement in 2024. “I’m thrilled to bring this extraordinary group of actors and performers to worldwide audiences in this film.”

Jaylen Lyndon Hunter and Tre Horton share the role of Marlon Jackson. Hunter has worked previously on Broadway, playing Young Simba in *The Lion King. *He's already played Marlon in the national tour of *MJ: The Musical. *Horton has predominantly worked in short films and regional theater.

After his time with the Jackson 5, Marlon had a brief solo music career before pivoting to real estate and philanthropy. He’s also an executive producer for *Michael*.

Judah Edwards and Rhyan Hill (Tito Jackson)

Judah Edwards; Tito Jackson posing for a portrait in 1970; Rhyan Hill.

Courtesy Lionsgate; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Lionsgate

Tito Jackson has remained one of the most consistent members of the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. He's also led a steady career as a blues musician since 2003 and is an executive producer for *Michael*.

Judah Edwards and Rhyan Hill share the role of the third Jackson brother. Edwards has been seen on *Saint X, *while Hill is best known for his role on *The Michael Blackson Show *on BET+ and his featured performance in the music video for "This Is America" by Childish Gambino.

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Nathaniel Logan McIntyre and Joseph David-Jones (Jackie Jackson)

Nathaniel Logan McIntyre; Jackie Jackson posing for a portrait in 1970, Joseph David-Jones.

Courtesy Lionsgate; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Lionsgate

Taking on the role of the eldest Jackson brother are Nathaniel Logan McIntyre and Joseph David-Jones.

McIntyre was a series regular on OWN's *David Makes Man, *as well as the star of Disney+ movie *Magic Camp *(2020).* *David-Jones is best known as Connor Hawke on the CW's *Arrow.*

Jackie Jackson enjoyed an expanded role as a vocalist in the Jacksons following Michael's departure. He also had a brief solo career,  founded two record companies, and serves as an executive producer for *Michael*.

Larenz Tate (Berry Gordy)

Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy in 'Michael'; Berry Gordy during the American Museum of the Moving Image tribute to Sidney Poitier at Waldorf Hotel on Feb. 28, 1989, in New York City.

Lionsgate; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Without Berry Gordy, there is no Jackson 5 or Michael Jackson. The iconic founder of Motown Records changed music forever by giving a platform to Black artists, including the Supremes, the Temptations, and more.

Larenz Tate plays the famous music mogul. Tate recently appeared on Starz's *Power *(and its various spinoffs), but slightly older audiences will know him as the hunky heartthrob at the center of *Love Jones*, alongside *Michael* costar Nia Long*.*

Jessica Sula (La Toya Jackson)

Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson in 'Michael'; La Toya Jackson at the American Music Awards on Jan. 30, 1981.

Lionsgate; ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

The Jackson family adds another member. Jessica Sula joins the cast as the middle daughter and fifth child of the Jackson clan, La Toya Jackson. Though not a part of their earliest musical efforts, La Toya rose to prominence as part of the family's variety television show, *The Jacksons. *She also serves as an executive producer for *Michael*.

La Toya launched her own solo career in the 1980s. In addition to recurring on Netflix's *Godless, *Sula starred opposite Anya Taylor-Joy in M. Night Shyamalan's* Split* (2016) and played Natalie on Amazon Prime Video’s one-season teen thriller series, *Panic*.

Liv Symone (Gladys Knight)

Liv Symone; Gladys Kinght in 1980.

Patrick Marcigliano; RB/Redferns

There's more Motown where Diana Ross and Berry Gordy come from. Liv Symone portrays hit machine Gladys Knight, who was backed up by her family as well (known professionally as the Pips). Knight scored several No. 1 hits for Motown, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia."

Symone is best known to audiences for recurring on Starz's *Power Book III: Raising Kanan.*

Kevin Shinick (Dick Clark)

Kevin Shinick attends the 1st annual Geekie Awards held at Avalon on Aug. 18, 2013, in Hollywood, Calif.; Dick Clark poses for a portrait in June 1989, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Albert L. Ortega/Getty; Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty

Besides Berry Gordy, few people had as much influence on American music in the 1950s and '60s as Dick Clark. His *American Bandstand *introduced countless bands to the American public, including the Jackson 5, who made a legendary appearance on the show in the early part of their career.

Kevin Shinick, who portrays Clark, is a multihyphenate writer, actor, and producer, working most notably on Cartoon Network's *Robot Chicken.*

Kendrick Sampson (Quincy Jones)

Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones in 'Michael'; Quincy Jones circa-1970.

Lionsgate; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

If Berry Gordy defined Motown in the '50s and '60s, it was Quincy Jones who was responsible for the sound of the 1970s and '80s. The legendary producer (and songwriter/composter) first met Michael Jackson when the pop star was only 12 years old. Jones collaborated with Jackson on three of his most successful albums: *Thriller, Bad, *and *Off the Wall. *He died in November 2024 at age 91.

Kendrick Sampson, who had notable stints on *Insecure *and *How to Get Away With Murder*, portrays Jones.

KeiLyn Durrel Jones (Bill Bray)

KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray in 'Michael'.

Isolated by his fame, Michael Jackson struggled to make close friends — but one of his lifelong confidantes was Bill Bray. Bray was originally hired by Joe Jackson as security for the Jackson 5 in the 1970s, but he went on to form a lasting bond with Michael.

KeiLyn Durrel Jones, who recurred on the final season of *The Other Two *and played Terrance on* How to Die Alone,* brings Bray to life on screen.

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Source: “EW Biopic”