Nia Long Opens Up About Playing Katherine Jackson In 'Michael'

Michael, the highly anticipated and long-awaited biopic, is officially in theaters and, as expected, fans are dressed, singing and dancing in the rows. It’s a full cultural experience. Prior to its release, we sat down with the cast of the film: Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Juliano Valdi and director Antoine Fuqua, who opened up about Michael Jackson’s indelible mark on pop music and culture and how they tapped into playing the roles of the most important people in his life.

Nia Long, who portrays Katherine Jackson in the film, embodied her reserved and soft energy and her special relationship to her son. Katherine wasn’t a woman of many words, but she expressed herself in various ways, including her love and the protection of her children. In the film, there’s a scene when Katherine undergoes an awakening of sort, and she’s stern with Joe (played by Colman Domingo) and she’s wearing a power white suit from which she draws strength. It was an intentional fashion choice by Long and Fuqua.

“Well, that suit was a deliberate choice, and I’m glad that you noticed it,” Nia revealed during our junket interview glancing over at Fuqua who smiled back. “It was something that Antoine and I discussed.” She continued, “She was the woman of the house at that point. The stardom was there, the lifestyle had changed, and in that moment she recognized that her son was no longer a boy. He was a young man. And she no longer agreed with Joe’s desire to control the situation. And you know she didn’t need many words to say I’m not on your same team.”

She added, “It was my first time in a scene with Colman where I actually felt that Joe was really vulnerable, you know, that there was just that, that, that there was a detachment between the two of them where their beliefs and how the parenting needed to go moving forward was different, and I think that’s a very natural thing that happens daily in marriages and partnerships…so the suit was a power suit.”

The film dedicates a generous amount of time on Michael and Joe’s complicated relationship. Colman’s portrayal of Joe was intimidating and silently menacing. Get into our interview, above.

And catch Michael in theaters now!