Jaafar Jackson recently revealed to Discussing Films that he watched Whiplash often to prepare for his role as Michael Jackson in the biopic Michael. He admitted that the psychological drama helped him understand the pressure and discipline needed to step into his uncle's shoes. He further said movies like Whiplash helped him mentally prepare for the intensity of the role. 

“There were times where I would actually put Whiplash on in my process because I always felt a lot of motivation from that film, just seeking greatness,” Jafar Jackson added in the interview.

The Miles Teller-starring film focuses on the intensity behind passion and how it drives one to the brink of madness once overtaken by it. Why this film may have particularly helped Jaafar Jackson tune in to the role was possibly finding similarities between Michael Jackson's well-known intricacy-laced performances and Andrew Neiman's obsessions with becoming "one of the greats."

For further context, Whiplash was released in 2014, written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It features Miles Teller as an aspiring young jazz drummer and J.K. Simmons as his demanding, dominating music instructor. The story is about pressure, discipline, and the constant push for perfection in the world of music. 

The themes of pressure and perfection explored in Whiplash closely mirror the intense expectations surrounding Michael, which is now dominating the global box office.

Michael continues its record-breaking box office run

Meanwhile, Michael is making history with its spectacular box office run. This is only the second musical biopic to ever reach this milestone, after Bohemian Rhapsody. It is already the highest-grossing music biopic at the North American box office with a staggering $97 million garnered domestically in its debut weekend.

Additionally, it has grossed an estimated $577 million globally, as per Deadline. Now, it is projected to comfortably surpass Bohemian Rhapsody's $910 million gross to date. It also earned $4.7 million on its second Wednesday, which surpassed the $2.2 million Bohemian Rhapsody made on its second Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Jaafar Jackson’s choice of watching Whiplash to prepare for the role speaks about the kind of pressure and commitment that goes into creating an ode of this size. The movie about perfection, discipline, and artistic ambition inspired him to get inside the head of one of the most legendary artists of all time. His comments also offered fans a deeper glimpse into the intense preparation behind the highly anticipated biopic. 

What do you think about Jaafar Jackson using Whiplash as inspiration for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in Michael? Let us know in the comments. 

Written by

Bias Sinha

Edited by

Adiba Nizami