It was just a feeling of rightness that was so strong I couldn't ignore it," Graham King, who previously produced the Oscar-winning Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody," said of meeting Jaafar during the casting process."I felt something a bit like it when Rami Malek walked into my office and said, 'I'd love to play Freddie Mercury,'" King told NME. "But this took it to a whole new level. There was something so spiritual about Jaafar that just talking with him about Michael got me emotional.

We looked at nearly 200 actors around the globe, and no one could beat Jaafar."Here's everything to know about Jaafar, his career, and his relationships with the Jacksons.Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza.Jermaine Jackson, Jaafar Jackson, Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, and Jermajesty Jackson at the LA premiere of "Michael."VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty ImagesJaafar's father, Jermaine, was one of the original members of the Jackson 5, along with his brothers, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, and Michael.Jermaine was the group's second lead vocalist (Michael was first) until he left to pursue solo stardom in 1975. He was replaced by his youngest brother, Randy, and the group rebranded to The Jacksons.Jaafar's mother, Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, was born in Colombia.

She graduated from UCLA with a degree in fashion design and marketing, per her LinkedIn, and more recently launched Alejandra Jackson Designs.Before Jermaine and Alejandra began dating, she was in a relationship with Jermaine's brother, Randy. Although they never married, Alejandra and Randy had two children together: a daughter, Genevieve, who was born in 1989, and a son, Randy Jr., born in 1992."Randy didn't treat me like I was the one," Alejandra told the New York Post's Stacy Brown. "I just thought that Jermaine was different, that he was more family-oriented."Jermaine and Alejandra married on March 18, 1995, per People.

They welcomed Jaafar on July 25, 1996, followed by his brother, Jermajesty, in 2000.Jermaine filed for divorce from Alejandra in 2004. It was finalized in 2008 with Alejandra winning physical custody of Jaafar and Jermajesty, TMZ reported at the time.Jaafar Jackson makes his acting debut portraying his famous uncle in "Michael."Jaafar Jackson in "Michael."Glen Wilson/Lionsgate"Michael" producer Graham King and casting director Kimberly Hardin conducted a worldwide search before offering the role to Jaafar, per NME.One major snag? Jaafar had no formal dance training or acting credits before "Michael," save for one episode of "The Jacksons: Next Generation," a 2015 reality show that followed the lives of his cousins, Taj, Taryll, and TJ (then known as the R&B-pop trio 3T).Jaafar has said he rehearsed for three years — two of which were part of the audition process — and worked with Michael's former choreographers, Rich and Tone Talauega, to learn his uncle's signature dance moves."We had to take that syllabus and then infuse it into Jaafar," Rich said on the KTLA 5 Morning News.

"But let me tell you, man, he's a Jackson, you know, he has this talent deep down inside his DNA. It just took us some time, but we pulled it out of him, and the work that he put into it was exceptional."Jaafar already shared his uncle's musical ambitions; he began playing the piano at age 12 and released his debut single, "Got Me Singing," in 2019. His website cites Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, and "his own family's rich musical heritage" as key influences.Jaafar Jackson isn't actually singing in "Michael."Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in "Michael."Glen Wilson/LionsgateBucking the recent biopic trend of actors singing live on set — like Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan and Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen — Jaafar did not rely on his own voice to carry the musical scenes in "Michael."Instead, the hit songs featured in the movie are "gloriously remastered and superbly lip-synched," according to Deadline's chief fi