Juliano Valdi Talks Playing Young Michael Jackson in Biopic
The interview offers a rare look at how a young dancer who gained fame through social media prepared to portray one of music's most iconic figures in a major biopic.
Reporting from 1 sources: Eiga Natalie.
A behind-the-scenes interview video with 12-year-old Juliano Valdi, who plays young Michael Jackson in the biographical film "Michael," has been released. Valdi discusses his role preparation, including studying music videos and practicing dance with choreographers Rich + Tone. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is now in theaters.
Juliano Valdi, the 12-year-old rising star cast as young Michael Jackson in the biographical film "Michael," has shared details of his role preparation in a newly released interview video. Valdi, who was nine during filming, became known for posting dance videos that perfectly recreated Michael's performances on social media. In the video, he says playing the role is "a dream" and describes studying music videos like "ABC" and interview programs to understand young Michael. He worked closely with choreography duo Rich + Tone, who he says choreographed for Michael himself, calling them "the best choreographers ever." Valdi also notes the difference between young and adult Michael's dancing, saying the younger version has more interactions with his brothers to the beat, while adult Michael's movements are more detailed and difficult. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, stars Michael's real nephew Jaafar Jackson as the adult Michael, with Coleman Domingo, Nia Long, Kendrick Sampson, and Miles Teller in supporting roles. A repeat-viewing campaign offering original goods is also underway.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie 「Michael／マイケル」若きマイケル役の12歳ジュリアーノ・ヴァルディ、役作りの裏側語る