We haven’t heard much news about the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic lately, but Colman Domingo is keeping fans intrigued with fresh teases in his interviews. The acclaimed actor continues to drop hints about his transformative performance as Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family, in Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming film Michael, set to hit theaters on October 3.
In a recent conversation with W Magazine for their Best Performances issue, Domingo revealed just how far he went to embody the controversial figure. “I don’t look like myself at all,” he shared. “I completely transform. My skin is lighter because Joe was a bit more fair-skinned. I had prosthetics on top of my head above my eye, and my nose is different.”
The transformation wasn’t limited to makeup and prosthetics—wardrobe played a crucial role in bringing Joe Jackson to life across different stages of his life. “We really leaned into the different periods of Joe,” Domingo explained. “When he was a little bit younger and slicker, a bit more of the hustle. And then when he started to have his little pooch, I needed that pooch. And the pants were riding right underneath, like all the men that I know who wear their bellies proud.”
Joe Jackson remains a polarizing figure in the public eye, remembered for both his role in shaping the careers of his children and allegations of abuse from some of them. Jackson passed away in 2018 at the age of 89 after a battle with cancer. Domingo previously opened up about the complexities of portraying such a figure during a 2024 interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“I wanted to take it on because I know there are many public opinions about Joe Jackson that conflict with what maybe family members or people who knew him think or believe,” Domingo said. “And even that is very complicated. I want to figure him out and find out what made him tick. How did he create these magnificent artists, these world-acclaimed artists? Because so much of that was through Joe—his work and his impact.”
Domingo added that his curiosity drove him to explore the man behind the public persona. “Whether good, bad, or ugly, I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I know that I’m curious to find out, and I want to uncover what’s underneath the hat, the earrings, and the gold chains.”
As fans eagerly await the film’s release, Domingo’s dedication to portraying Joe Jackson with nuance and depth promises to bring an essential chapter of the Jackson family’s story to life in a powerful and thought-provoking way.
