Fresh off of playing the oft-overlooked civil rights icon Bayard Rustin, Colman Domingo is now set to join the Jackson family in Antoine Fuqua‘s long-gestating biopic Michael. The Emmy winner has been tapped for the heavy role of playing the controversial patriarch Joe Jackson who shaped Michael Jackson and his siblings’ early lives. He joins the pop star’s nephew Jaafar Jackson and newcomer Juliano Krue Valdi in the film which spans the four-decade career of Michael from his days as a member of the Jackson 5 to his rise as a solo icon and descent into controversy.
It’s impossible to tell the story of Jackson without his father, Joe. The singer has described him as being largely responsible for molding him into the world-conquering performer he became, pushing him and his siblings to succeed with a singular focus. Joe Jackson also drew considerable ire from the public, however, for being physically and emotionally abusive towards the children, according to Michael, as he employed belts and switches as punishment during rehearsals. Though the other members of the Jackson 5 have come out against the characterization of him as abusive, the effect he had on Michael as the youngest child was especially heavy and heartbreaking.
Domingo will have his hands full with such a complex role, but he’s also coming from a complex turn in Rustin – his first lead role. In the film by director George C. Wolfe, Domingo delivered an Oscar-nominated performance as the titular activist who helped organize the historical march on Washington yet is largely written out of history as a gay black man. It’s only his first Academy Award nod, but he’s also enjoyed memorable turns in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Selma, Zola, and Passing Strange, as well as last year’s blockbuster Transformers: Rise of the Beasts as the planet-devouring Unicron. On television, he’s also well known for his turn as Victor Strand in Fear the Walking Dead as well as his Emmy-winning guest appearance on Euphoria. He’s also gearing up for his directorial debut with a film he says will follow an American icon.
Antoine Fuqua Is Excited to Bring Domingo Aboard ‘Michael’
Michael is a passion project for Fuqua, who loves the artist’s work and is eager to tell his story warts and all to keep the conversation going about who Jackson truly is. He’s directing from a script by John Logan with Oscar winner Graham King producing. The whole team was thrilled to have Domingo join in such a pivotal role, with King saying of the star, “Few actors present themselves with Colman’s screen presence and force of will. We’re so fortunate to have an actor with his undeniable talent portraying Joe Jackson on screen. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us on this journey.”
Fuqua was similarly impressed by Domingo‘s body of work and believes he’s the right choice to depict a multifaceted character like Joe Jackson. “Colman has such incredible range – he puts in the work to deeply inhabit his characters and understand their true essence and motivation,” the director added. “I’m grateful to be working with an actor with his passion and ability to portray the many sides of Joe Jackson: a husband, a father, and a manager.” As excited as everyone is to work with him, Domingo was equally delighted to be a part of the project. He also heaped a mountain of praise on his co-star and acting newcomer Jaafar Jackson for his stunning transformation into his late uncle:
“I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon. 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. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown. There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channeling his late uncle. His talent and embodiment of Michael’s essence is simply on another level.”
Production is underway on Michael, which is set to arrive in theaters on April 18, 2025. Stay tuned here at Collider for more as the cast continues to fill out for Fuqua‘s hotly-anticipated new biopic, and in the meantime check out Domingo in Netflix‘s Rustin.
via Collider