Kat Graham Says Jaafar Jackson Was “Perfection” as Michael Jackson in Upcoming Biopic

In a candid new conversation with Keke Palmer on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, actress and singer Kat Graham opened up about her highly anticipated role as Diana Ross in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael. Alongside sharing behind-the-scenes insights, Graham didn’t hold back her praise for her co-stars and the surreal experience of stepping into such an iconic role.

“Jaafar Jackson was perfection”

Graham had nothing but admiration for Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, who plays the King of Pop in the film.

“Jaafar Jackson was perfection portraying Michael Jackson.”

Her words add to the growing buzz around Jaafar’s performance, which has been closely guarded during production.

High praise for Nia Long

The Vampire Diaries alum also gave flowers to veteran actress Nia Long, who plays Katherine Jackson.

“Nia Long is the bomb.com.”

The lighthearted praise underscores the camaraderie and respect among the film’s all-star cast.

Embracing her natural texture for Diana Ross

Graham revealed that Michael was the first film where she fully embraced her natural hair texture on screen—even if it wasn’t all her own.

“Even though it wasn’t all my hair, I had a little bit of my own hair, the rest was big. It was the first film where I was rocking my texture. I don’t want to give too much away.”

A surreal connection to Quincy Jones

One of the more emotional parts of filming for Graham was sharing scenes with the character of Quincy Jones—played by her longtime friend Kendrick Sampson.

“It felt surreal because they had the Quincy Jones character and that’s played by my boy Kendrick Sampson, and when I was filming it he was still alive.”

A biopic steeped in legacy

I love how other celebs already know about Jaafar 😭 Kat Graham was on Keke Palmers show and briefly talked about her role as Diana. She called Jaafar “perfection” as Michael pic.twitter.com/6MPGLIOgGs

— Sunshine (@SunshineMJ5) August 13, 2025

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael features a star-studded cast including Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Larenz Tate, and more. With Graham stepping into the shoes of Diana Ross, the film is poised to explore not just Michael Jackson’s life and career, but the constellation of figures who shaped his journey.

The movie is set for release April 24, 2026, following a schedule change from its original 2025 debut.

Bottom line: From Jaafar Jackson’s “perfection” to rocking her natural texture for the first time on film, Kat Graham’s enthusiasm paints Michael as a passion project steeped in artistry, authenticity, and reverence for music’s most enduring icons.