Nia Long Is Confident Michael Jackson ‘Would Be Happy’ With the New Biopic
In the new biopic Michael, Nia Long portrays Jackson family matriarch, Katherine Jackson. Long, who met Jackson before his death, said people who love the late singer made the film. While not everyone in the Jackson family has supported it, Long feels confident that Jackson would appreciate the movie.
Nia Long feels that Michael Jackson would have liked the new film about him
Long said that a uniting factor for the cast and crew of Michael was their love of Jackson. They wanted to make a film that made this clear.
“We had tough days, and we had easy days, like any other movie set,” she told Playboy. “But I think the common thread in all of this is everyone involved really loves and adores Michael Jackson, and we wanted to get it right.”
The film underwent several changes — most notably removing the allegations of child abuse — but Long feels that the finished product is a strong one. She thinks Jackson would have been proud of the film.
“And although the film went through some changes, the version everyone will see is really, really spectacular and entertaining,” she said. “And I think Michael would be happy.”
Nia Long shared how she prepared for her role as Michael Jackson’s mother
Jackson was one of the most famous people in the world, and Long admitted that she felt the pressure of playing his mother.
“I prayed a lot because my interpretation can be my interpretation, but what the world needs my interpretation to be is kind of beyond my control,” she said. “The work comes through me, not to me. And so I had to kind of trust my instincts.”
She said she knows people will have opinions about the way she portrays Katherine. This is out of her control, though. Her focus was on giving an honest interpretation of Katherine.
“Although there will be noise, and there will be things that are out of my control,” she said. “Listen, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I’m here to interpret a story, to represent a woman, to represent a mother, to represent a Black woman who, in my opinion, is the real hero in all of this. I know what it’s like to be a mom carrying the weight, and when I think of grace, I think of Katherine Jackson.
Some members of his family haven’t supported the film
Coleman Domingo, who plays the late Joe Jackson, claimed Jackson’s daughter Paris helped him prepare for the role. She denied this, noting that she does not support the film.
“Don’t be telling people I was helpful on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol that is so weird,” she wrote via Instagram Story. “I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my thoughts on what was dishonest/didn’t sit right with me and when they didn’t address it I moved on with my life. Not my monkeys not my circus. God bless and god speed.”
Neither Paris nor Janet Jackson attended the film’s premiere.
