Jaafar Jackson is the answer to who played Michael Jackson in the movie Michael, and audiences came out of the opening weekend treating him like the real thing. The Michael Jackson biopic opened with a record-setting $97 million, topping the $60 million debut of Straight Outta Compton, and the response online has been dominated by praise for Jaafar’s turn as the King of Pop.
Michael tells Jackson’s life story beyond the music, tracing his rise from a child with extraordinary talent to the visionary artist who pushed relentlessly to become the biggest entertainer in the world. The film also stars Miles Teller, Colman Domingo and Nia Long, and audiences gave it a Verified Hot 97% Popcornmeter after the first wave of reviews rolled in.
Those audience reactions were especially warm toward Jaafar. One viewer called his performance phenomenal, saying he captured Michael’s voice and stage presence, while another said his voice resembled Michael’s and his dancing was incredibly authentic. A different review said he was the first person to play Michael in a way that did not feel like an imitation, and another described the result as the closest they would get to a concert. Critics, however, were less taken with Antoine Fuqua’s film overall.
The praise did not stop with the lead performance. Audience reviews called Colman Domingo’s turn as Joe Jackson Oscar-worthy and said Nia Long was a great addition as Katherine Jackson. Juliano Krue Valdi, who played Michael as a child, was also singled out as compelling. The recreations of the Victory Tour, BAD and the Pepsi commercial were described as awe inspiring, giving the film the kind of spectacle that helped drive its strong audience score.
That split between critics and viewers matters because Michael arrived with fan anticipation already high when it was announced, and opening weekend turned that expectation into a commercial surge. Musical biopics have been a popular lane for years, but few have landed with this kind of audience enthusiasm out of the gate. For now, the answer to who played Michael Jackson in the movie is clear: it was Jaafar Jackson, and the audience response suggests he is the reason so many viewers stayed to the end.
