00:00Welcome to AI Michael and Janet Offstage.
00:03Please welcome your hosts, Michael and Janet Jackson.
00:12Thank you. We're glad you're here.
00:15This is going to be a fun one tonight.
00:18Oh, definitely. We've got so much we want to ask our guest.
00:22And we're getting into more than just the career.
00:24We want the fun stories, too.
00:26I think it's time.
00:28Bring him out!
00:30This is somebody we're really excited to have with us.
00:32And I think everybody's ready to see him.
00:35Please welcome Jafar Jackson.
00:37Come on out, Jafar.
00:42Thank you. I'm really happy to be here.
00:45Come on, Jafar. Let's get comfortable.
00:50Jafar, we're really happy you're here. How are you feeling tonight?
00:54I'm feeling great. I'm excited to be here with both of you and everybody tonight.
01:01Jafar, what were you like growing up?
01:03I was curious about everything. I love music, but I also love just having fun and exploring.
01:08What kind of things did you do for fun?
01:10Oh, all kinds of things. I love being outside and just having fun.
01:15Okay, now I want to know, when did music really grab you?
01:19Music was always around me, but there came a point when I wanted to create something of my own.
01:24I understand that. Finding your own voice is important.
01:27So what made you realize you were ready to perform?
01:30I think I realized I was ready when performing became more than something I enjoyed.
01:34I wanted to work at it seriously and become the best performer I could be.
01:37I understand that. Once you feel that calling, you have to work at it.
01:41So what did you start doing to prepare yourself?
01:45I started taking everything more seriously.
01:47Practicing, studying performances, working on my voice, and learning how to become more confident on stage.
01:52That takes a lot of discipline.
01:54When you started performing in front of people, were you nervous?
02:00Yeah, definitely. I was nervous at first, but I learned to use that nervous energy instead of letting it stop
02:05me.
02:06That nervous energy can become part of the excitement.
02:09Do you remember the first performance where you really felt confident?
02:15Yeah, I remember reaching a point where I stopped thinking about every move and just enjoyed performing.
02:20That's when I really started feeling confident.
02:22That's when it starts feeling natural.
02:25When did you first realize performing could actually become your career?
02:30I think it became real when I realized how much I loved the work itself, not just performing.
02:35That's when I knew I wanted to make it my career.
02:37That's beautiful, Jafar. Loving the work makes all the difference.
02:40And then acting came into your life.
02:42What was that transition like for you?
02:45It was definitely something new for me.
02:47Acting challenged me in a different way because I had to learn how to express myself through a character.
02:52That's a whole different kind of performance.
02:56What attracted you to acting in the first place?
03:00I was attracted to acting because it gave me another way to express myself.
03:04I like becoming part of a story and finding something real inside a character.
03:07I understand that.
03:08You discover things about yourself through the character, too.
03:10Was there a role that made you realize acting was something you really wanted to pursue?
03:15Definitely.
03:16Being chosen to portray Uncle Michael made acting feel completely different to me.
03:19I knew it was something I wanted to give everything I had.
03:22That had to carry a lot of meaning for you.
03:24What went through your mind when you learned you would be portraying me?
03:31Honestly, I felt honored, but I also knew it was a huge responsibility.
03:33I wanted to approach portraying you with respect and give everything I had to it.
03:36I can understand why that would feel like a big responsibility.
03:39How did you begin preparing yourself to portray Michael?
03:45I started by studying everything closely.
03:47The movement, the performances, and the small details.
03:50I wanted to understand what made your style feel so natural.
03:53The little details can tell you so much.
03:56What was the hardest part of learning Michael's movement and performance style?
04:00The hardest part was making the movement feel natural.
04:03I didn't want to just copy Michael.
04:04I wanted to understand the feeling and intention behind every movement.
04:08That feeling behind the movement is important.
04:10Was there one particular move or performance that took you the longest to master?
04:15Some of the dance sequences were really challenging because every detail mattered.
04:19The timing, the posture, even the way Michael carried himself between the bigger moves.
04:23So it wasn't only about learning the choreography.
04:26How did you practice until those movements started feeling natural?
04:30It was repetition.
04:31I practiced again and again until I wasn't thinking about every step anymore.
04:35Eventually, the movement started feeling more natural.
04:38That's when the work starts becoming instinct.
04:40Once you had the movement, how did you prepare emotionally to portray Michael?
04:46Emotionally, I had to remember I wasn't just portraying an artist.
04:49I was portraying someone I knew as family.
04:50So I wanted every moment to come from a real place.
04:53That makes the responsibility much more personal.
04:56Was there ever a moment during filming when the emotion became especially difficult for you?
05:00Yeah.
05:01There were moments when it became difficult because I had to stay inside the performance while also remembering how personal
05:06this was for me.
05:07I understand.
05:08Sometimes emotion can make the work even more demanding.
05:10What helped you manage those emotions and stay focused on giving your best performance?
05:15I tried to stay grounded and remember why I was doing it.
05:18I focused on the work, trusted the preparation, and let the emotion support the performance instead of overwhelming it.
05:24That balance must have taken a lot of discipline.
05:26Did portraying me teach you anything you hadn't understood about me before?
05:30Yeah.
05:31Studying everything so closely gave me a deeper appreciation for how much discipline and detail went into your performances.
05:37You made difficult things look effortless.
05:38People usually see the performance, not all the work behind it.
05:42What did this experience teach you about yourself as an actor and performer?
05:45It showed me that I could go deeper than I thought.
05:48I learned to trust myself more, take risks as an actor, and keep pushing even when something felt difficult.
05:54That sounds like the experience really changed you.
05:56What part of yourself did you discover during this experience that surprised you the most?
06:00I discovered that I had more patience and determination than I realized.
06:04Even when something challenged me, I learned that I could keep working until I found my way through it.
06:09That's something worth discovering about yourself.
06:11After everything you put into this role, what moment made you feel the most proud?
06:16I think I felt most proud when I realized how far I'd come.
06:19After all the preparation and challenges, knowing I'd given everything I had to the role meant a lot to me.
06:24You should be proud of how much you gave to it.
06:26Was there anything about making the film that you enjoyed more than you expected?
06:31Definitely. I enjoyed the whole process of discovering how everything comes together.
06:35Acting, movement, and performance all challenged me in different ways, and I really enjoyed that.
06:39You found something to enjoy even in the challenge.
06:41Was there one part of the performance that challenged you more than everything else?
06:46I think the biggest challenge was bringing everything together.
06:48The acting, the movement, and the emotion.
06:50Without letting one part overpower the others.
06:52And you had to make all of that feel natural at the same time.
06:56When everything finally came together, did you feel differently about yourself as a performer?
07:01Yeah, definitely.
07:02It gave me more confidence because I saw how much I could grow when I really committed myself to the
07:06work.
07:07And you're still growing.
07:08That's the exciting part.
07:10We've got much more with Jafar coming up.
07:16His story continues.
07:20Jafar Jackson steps into the next chapter of Michael's extraordinary story.
07:29Jafar Jackson returns as Michael.
07:31Welcome back to Offstage.
07:33We're still here with Jafar Jackson.
07:35Seeing that just now makes me curious about where you want to go next.
07:39What would you most like to explore next as an actor and performer?
07:46I'd love to keep challenging myself with different kinds of roles while also growing as a performer and discovering things
07:51I haven't tried before.
07:52That's how you keep discovering what you're capable of.
07:55When you're away from acting and performing, what do you genuinely enjoy doing just for yourself?
08:01I really enjoy having time to slow down, listen to music, relax, and just enjoy being around the people I
08:05care about.
08:06I really enjoy being around the people I care about.
08:06I really enjoy being around the people I care about.
08:07I really enjoy being around the people I care about.
08:08I really enjoy being around the people I care about.
08:08I enjoy being around the people I care about.
