A nepo baby’s natural calling! As Michael Jackson’s NEPHEW is cast to play him in upcoming biopic – a look back at OTHER stars who’ve played their relatives on screen – from Dwayne Johnson to Melissa Rivers
- Jaafar Jackson, 26, said he’s ‘honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life’
- Rising star joins the list of talent who’ve played their family members on screen
- The likes of the late Joan Rivers and rapper Ice Cube have had their children portray them in movies
When it comes to casting some to star as a celebrities for biographical films or flashback scenes, Hollywood loves nothing more than to take a look close to home.
The likes of rapper Ice Cube and the late Joan Rivers have had their life stories brought to life on screen with their own children starring as their famous parents.
Meanwhile, it was announced last Monday that Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, 26, has been tapped up to play the music icon in the upcoming biopic, King of Pop.
Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson, brother of Michael and a member of The Jackson 5.
Major role: Jaafar Jackson, is the son of Jermaine Jackson, will play Michael Jackson in an upcoming biopic (pictured seen in 2014)
Legends never die: In a statement, Lionsgate said the film will be ‘an in-depth portrayal of a complicated man who became the King of Pop
‘I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life,’ Jaafar wrote after the casting was revealed. ‘To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.’
The rising star now joins the list of talent who have had the chance to play their family members, or star as the younger version of their characters, in recent years.
Indeed, when a younger version of Mila Jovovich’s character in Resident Evil needed to be cast, it was her daughter, Ever Gabo Anderson, who landed the role.
And The Many Saints of Newark creators couldn’t imagine anyone better to reprise the younger version of James Gandolfini’s iconic role as Tony Soprano than the late actor’s son, Michael.
Here, DailyMail.com looks back at the stars who have played their family members – or their favorite characters – on screen.
Jaafar Jackson: Playing his uncle Michael Jackson in King of Pop
Keeping it in the family: Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar has revealed his excitement about landing the role
Big moment: Jaafar shared his gratitude at getting the role via his Twitter account, along with a black and white photo of himself dressed like his famous late uncle
Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson is set to play the King of Pop in an upcoming biopic called Michael, according to Deadline .
Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson, the third eldest brother of Michael and a member of The Jackson 5, and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza.
The 26-year-old has been singing and dancing since the age of 12, following the footsteps of his iconic family.
The biopic, which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua for Lionsgate, will be produced by GK Films and also John Branca and John McClain, who are co-executors of Michael Jackson’s estate.
Jaafar shared his gratitude at getting the role via his Twitter account, along with a black and white photo of himself dressed like his famous late uncle.
He wrote: ‘I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.’
In the image, Jaafar was wearing an iconic Michael look- striped pants with a white T-shirt and jacket, hat, and shoes in his signature pose.
Michael died in 2009 at age 50, due to a cocktail of sedatives leading to a cardiac arrest.
Last February, Deadline reported Lionsgate had picked up distribution rights for the film, which was written by Gladiator writer John Logan.
In a statement, Lionsgate said the film will be ‘an in-depth portrayal of a complicated man who became the King of Pop.
It will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.’
‘Ever since Michael was little, as a member of The Jackson 5, he loved the magic of cinema,’ she said. ‘As a family, we are honored to have our life story come alive on the big screen.’
According to Deadline the new biopic will cover the span of Jackson’s life from his childhood with The Jackson Five right through to the civil and criminal lawsuits before his death at the age of 50 in 2009.
With the Jackson family’s involvement in the project, it’s unclear how the film will include the allegations.
Melissa Rivers: Played her mother Joan Rivers in the movie Joy
Melissa Rivers was tapped up to play her mother, Joan Rivers (pictured left in 2014), in the 2015 movie, Joy (pictured above)
Moving: Melissa told ET that the role involved an emotional journey for her following the death of mother in September 2014 (pictured together in 2005)
Melissa Rivers was tapped up to play her mother in the 2015 movie, Joy, starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Joy is the story of a family across four generations and the woman who rises to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.
Jennifer starred in the lead role of Joy Mangano in the movie, with Melissa appearing as her mother in a scene set at a Nineties QVC taping.
Melissa, 55, told People how the role came about at the time, crediting director David O. Russell for dreaming up the role.
She said: ‘I literally one day got a call saying David O. Russell would like to meet you. Huh? What? I thought, “Seriously when am I ever going to get to work with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell?”‘
‘I think I was more freaked out in the hair and makeup tests than I was once I got on set. It was bizarre. I stopped looking in a mirror,’ she added.
She also told ET that the role involved an emotional journey for her and said she took extra care when speaking her words.
‘I worked hard on her speech pattern, but not so much the accent because I didn’t want it to be an imitation or a caricature,’ she said.
‘I can’t watch myself — especially like that. I think I was so focused on the details and trying to do a good job that it never hit me that I took this crazy emotional risk until I got home and went, “What did I just do?”‘
Comedy icon Joan, who hosted Fashion Police, passed away in September 2014, aged 81, after experiencing breathing problems following a minor throat procedure.
O’Shea Jackson Jr: Played his father Ice Cube in Straight Outta Compton
Ice Cube wanted his son, O’Shea Jackson Jr. to play him in the hit film, Straight Outta Compton
O’Shea (far right) made his film debut alongside (L-R) F. Gary Gray, Neil Brown Jr., Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell
Ice Cube (real name O’Shea Jackson) worked as a producer for the film alongside Dr. Dre
O’Shea Jackson made his film debut acting as his own father in the hit 2015 movie, Straight Outta Compton.
The 31-year-old played the younger version of his rapper father in the successful movie which told the story of the rise of groundbreaking hip hop group N.W.A.
Ice Cube (real name O’Shea Jackson) is a legendary rapper and actor who worked as a producer for the film alongside Dr. Dre.
Speaking to The Guardian at the time of release, O’Shea addressed claims of nepotism, revealing it ‘kills’ him to hear that criticism laid at his feet.
‘They don’t know the process. There was gonna be no one as passionate as I was,’ he said, defending his right to be in the biopic.
‘People should be applauding someone who’s able to take this family legacy and build on it, to further work on this empire my father built from the ground up. It’s all about my father. Everything I did was just to make him proud.’
Following the recent debate about ‘nepotism babies’ in the industry, O’Shea shared a series of tweets defending his film debut.
He explained it was his dad’s dream for his eldest son to ‘play him’ and pointed out that he was ‘already in college for screenwriting at USC’ when the project got the green light.
‘I accepted the challenge. And auditioned for two years before getting the role,’ the actor explained. ‘After that it was up to me, [my father] couldn’t hold my hand through my career. I had to get my ass up and make it work.’
He continued: ‘From the roles I chose. The work ethic I put into them. My professionalism on sets and promo tours. Even leaving HIS agency and going to find a team of my own. Once the door was opened it was up to me to walk through it and thrive.’
O’Shea did acknowledge that ‘NONE’ of his opportunities would have been possible ‘without the love of [his] father’ and ‘the work [Ice Cube] put in to get [his children] to a place of opportunity.’
‘For me to ignore that or not accept and use as a guide would be foolish and disrespectful. I am grateful and I use his teachings daily,’ he added.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: Played his father Rocky in That ’70s Show
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson also landed his first acting gig by playing his wrestler father, Rocky Johnson
The famous wrestler became his father for a fun cameo on That ’70s Show (pictured with Mila Kunis in 1999)
Long before he became one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson landed his first acting gig by playing his wrestler father, Rocky Johnson.
In an 1999 episode titled, That Wrestling Show, he portrayed his wrestler father, Rocky, in a fun cameo.
Set in 1977 at the time, the episode saw Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith) accompany his son Eric (Topher Grace) and his friends to a local wrestling match.
Rocky Johnson was headlining the event and Red and Eric snuck into the locker room to meet the wrestler and get his autograph.
Dwayne, in character as Rocky, referenced himself by mentioning a son that he predicted would be ‘the most electrifying man in sports entertainment.’
His father wrestled professionally from 1964 until his retirement in 1991.
He and his wrestling partner Tony Atlas became the first black men to win a WWE championship.
Like his own father, Dwayne followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Peter Maivia, to become a professional wrestler.
However, The Rock has gone on to reach greater success after making the transition to the big screen.
C. J. Wallace: Played his father, rapper Notorious B.I.G., in the biopic Notorious
Christopher Wallace Jr, the son of rap star Notorious B.I.G, played his father as a child in the 2009 biopic, Notorious
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdTfvHOJ_66/
A post shared by cj (the doc) (@cjordanwallace)
Christopher Wallace Jr. got the chance to play his rapper father, Notorious B.I.G. as a child in the 2009 movie, Notorious.
The son of the late rap star and R&B singer Faith Hill told the Columbus Telegram at the time: ‘Other people may look like him and dress in the same exact way, but I did well because I know how to react because my grandmother…told me about him and his actions and other things.’
His late rapper father, also known as Biggie Smalls, and singer Faith married in August 1994 after meeting at a Bad Boy records photoshoot.
The New York City rap star, real name Christopher Wallace, was shot and killed in Los Angeles in March 1997 when his son was only five months old.
Faith and Biggie had a rocky marriage with her husband engaging in an affair with singer Lil’ Kim and they were separated at the time of his murder.
The drive-by shooting of Notorious BIG occurred during the height of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry and remains unsolved.
Sophia Loren: Played her mother – and herself – in her 1980 biopic
Hollywood icon Sophia Loren (pictured left) played her mother (pictured above) in an Italian movie about her rise to fame
The actress went on to play her mother a second time in another miniseries about her life, which was released in 2010 (pictured with her co-star Margareth Made in 2009)
Sophia Loren took matters into her own hands when it came to brining her life story to screens back in 1980.
The Hollywood icon not only played herself in the made-for-television movie, Sophia: My Own Story, but she also played her mother, Romilda Villani.
Romilda gave birth to Sophia in a home for unwed mothers after becoming pregnant by a married man, Riccardo Scicolone, who claimed to be a film producer.
The aspiring actress and piano teacher was forced to put her dreams of fame on hold as she struggled to raise Sophia by herself.
Sophia once admitted: ‘My mother suffered so much in her life by meeting the wrong person, like my father. I’ve tried to show that suffering in many of my performances.’
Her mother ultimately refused to see the movie before she died in 1991.
‘But I think she would have loved it. Because it would have shown her [the] souvenirs of her life that had maybe been blinded by the time that goes by,’ Sophia mused. ‘Oh, she would have been moved by it.’
Sophia actually went on to play Romilda again in the 2010 miniseries, My House Is Full of Mirrors, which was an Italian series about her life.
The film was adapted from the book by Anna Maria Scicolone – Loren’s sister, who married Romano Mussolini – the son of Benito Mussolini.
Ever Anderson: Played younger version of her mother Mila Jovovich in Resident Evil
Ever Gabo Anderson made her debut as the Young Alicia Marcus/Red Queen in 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
The young actress played the younger version the character made famous by her mother
The budding star will next be seen in the upcoming live-action adaptation called Peter Pan & Wendy (pictured with her mother in 2022)
As the eldest daughter of action star Milla Jovovich and writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson, Ever grew up in the world of films.
The teen starlet made her debut as the Young Alicia Marcus/Red Queen in 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
The film just happened to be written and directed by her father so the casting for the younger version of her mother’s character didn’t come as much of a surprise.
Her parents were not initially supportive when their young daughter expressed her desire to start acting.
However, Ever has embraced her passion for working in the entertainment industry, having already made appearances in films such as Black Widow (2021).
At just 15-years-old, the model and actress, who can speak both English and Russian, currently boasts half a million followers on Instagram, and has around 800,000 fans on TikTok.
The budding star has been cast to portray the beloved role of Wendy Darling in the upcoming live-action adaptation called Peter Pan & Wendy which is slated to premiere on Disney+ this year.
Michael Consuelos: Played a younger version of his father in Riverdale
Michael Consuelos played the teenage version of his father Mark’s Riverdale character, Hiram Lodge
The son of Mark and Kelly Ripa took on the role for several flashback episodes on the CV show
Michael Consuelos played the teenage version of Hiram Lodge, who’s usually played by his dad Mark, in a flashback episode of Riverdale in 2018.
During that time he had appeared on an episode of his mother’s show LIVE with Kelly and Ryan to discuss his first acting experience.
Seacrest asked him if he had to ‘audition’ for the show given his father’s ties, to which he said: ‘Yes, I did. That was the part I was most nervous about. Dad told me they wanted me to audition for it, and I was so nervous — I never auditioned for anything before.’
He continued to divulge that he was in a casting room filled with a bunch of guys who looked like him — to which Kelly hilariously chimed in ‘You quickly realized you’re a dime a dozen. Welcome to Hollywood!’
Michael later returned for another episode revolving around the billionaire’s origin story — before he became the CEO of Lodge Industries.
Speaking to People magazine, Michael said: ‘Working on Riverdale was a bucket list moment for me.’
‘Acting opposite my dad was such a surreal experience, but we both had the BEST time and I really enjoyed getting to walk around in Hiram’s shoes.
‘Villainy aside, he’s a great character, and I can’t wait for the fans to see he’s not such a bad guy (maybe he is, but I’m biased),’ Michael continued to divulge.
‘I immediately felt welcomed by the amazing cast and crew and am grateful for this wonderful opportunity to continue to learn and grow as an actor,’ he said of the experience.
Michael Gandolfini: Reprised his father James Gandolfini’s iconic role as Tony Soprano
Michael Gandolfini (left) reprised his dad James’s role as Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark
James Gandolfini (center) was loved by critics and fans alike for his work in HBO series, The Sopranos
Michael Gandolfini reprised his dad James’s role as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark.
Fans were delighted in 2021 when he chose to follow in his late father’s prodigious footsteps for the crime drama.
In a new interview with The Face, Michael revealed that portraying a young Tony in the upcoming origin story allowed him to ‘feel closer’ to his dad.
‘Letting myself feel that connection to my dad is really great, ‘ he explained. ‘It’s there and it’s real, and seeing people moved by it means so much to me. It’s so special that I got to do this.’
Michael watched The Sopranos for the first time while preparing for the role, which helped him feel connected to his late father.
He told Esquire: ‘[There’s a scene where Tony] yells at A.J., and he gets a pizza to apologize, and he sits by his son’s bed and says, “I couldn’t ask for a better son.” I just knew he was talking to me in that scene.’
The Sopranos started its six-season run in 1999 and the show’s lead James died suddenly from a heart attack in 2013 at the age of 51.
Zoe Perry: Reprised her mom’s The Big Bang Theory character in Young Sheldon
Zoe Perry took on the role of Sheldon Cooper’s mom, Mary, in Young Sheldon, after her mother originated the part in The Big Bang Theory
Rivals: Laurie (R) competed for the supporting actress in a comedy series trophy against her daughter Zoe Perry (L) at the Critics’ Choice Awards in 2019
Zoe Perry truly stepped into her mother’s shoes by taking on the role of Sheldon Cooper’s mom, Mary, in Young Sheldon.
After the success of her mother Laurie Metcalf’s portrayal of the character in The Big Bang Theory, fans were delighted to see Zoe take on the part.
The actress has been playing her mother’s character since CBS picked up the spin-off series in 2017.
It wasn’t the first time this had happened, after Zoe appeared played the younger version of her mom’s part in Roseanne for two episodes of the three-time Emmy winner’s ABC sitcom.
In 2019, the pair ended up facing off for the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy award at the Critics’ Choice Awards.
Laurie was nominated for her role as Jackie Harris in Roseanne spin-off, The Conners.
Alice Richmond: Played the younger version of her mother in 30 Rock
Tina Fey’s young daughter Alice portrayed the child version of her famous character, Liz Lemon, in an episode of 30 Rock
Tina Fey created and starred in the hit series which aired from 2006 to 2013
Tina Fey’s young daughter was tasked with portraying the child version of her famous character in an episode of 30 Rock.
Alice Richmond put on an adorable display when she played young Liz Lemon in a childhood flashback.
The moment took please when Tina’s character was marrying James Marsden’s Criss Chross.
Before she was set to walk down the aisle, the episode featured a flashback scene as Liz recalled her first wedding experience as a flower girl.
Her then seven-year-old daughter donned a blue dress and matching headpiece for the appearance, showing off a major attitude and a killer eye roll.
Alice also appeared on the 2020 30 Rock reunion special, A One-Time Special.
Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr: Played his rapper father in BMF
Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr. (left) has been seen brining his father’s story to life in the crime drama BMF (Black Mafia Family)
Detroit’s Demetrius ‘Big Meech’ Flenory (pictured) and his brother became one of America’s most influential crime families in the late 80s
Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr. has been seen brining his father’s story to life in 50 Cent’s crime drama BMF (Black Mafia Family).
The show tellsl the story of Detroit’s Demetrius ‘Big Meech’ Flenory and his brother Terry ‘Southwest T’ Flenory, who grafted their way from poverty in southwest Detriot during the late 80s to become one of America’s most influential crime families after they took the drug game to a whole new level.
Being the son of Big Meech had its advantages when preparing for the role as Lil Meech was able to speak directly to the source when trying to understand his father’s mindset during his teenage years.
However, Lil Meech felt a lot of pressure about being the one bring the story to the masses as he explained to Metro.co.uk: ‘It was more pressure than you can ever imagine. But I couldn’t worry about the pressure, I had to worry about my role and what I had to do.
‘If I was too worried about the pressure then I would have let the opportunity slip past me and somebody else wouldn’t play my dad and I would have been sick about it.’
Ruth Wilson: Played her own grandmother Alison Wilson in British series, Mrs. Wilson
Ruth Wilson (right) had the opportunity to play her grandmother Alison Wilson (left) in the BBC series, Mrs. Wilson
Ruth (pictured with co-star Iain Glen) only found out about her grandfather’s many wives when her grandmother let her read a memoir she had written
Actress Ruth Wilson had the opportunity to play her grandmother Alison Wilson in the BBC series, Mrs. Wilson.
The three-part series focused on the true story about when Alison found out on her husband Alec’s death that he was a bigamist. It later transpired that Alec, an MI6 agent and author, had four wives and four families over the course of 30 years.
Based Alison’s memoir of 1940s and 1960s London and 1930s India, the show sees Alison learn the truth when a woman turns up on her doorstep claiming to be the ‘real’ Mrs. Wilson.
Alison sets out to prove that her own marriage was genuine – only to unearth more disturbing secrets about Alec.
In real life, Alison, who was married to Alec for 22 years and bore him two sons, Gordon and Nigel, only learned part of the shocking truth after he had a fatal heart attack in 1963.
He had given Alison a number to call if he died. So she rang it. Hours later, a Gladys Wilson turned up at her home in Ealing, West London. She claimed to be Alec’s wife and the mother of his kids Adrian, Dennis and Daphne.
Ruth only found out about her family history when her grandmother let her read a memoir she had written.
After Alison’s death, a journalist discovered that Alec had two further wives and a son with each. He had also been arrested for fraud, theft and falsely wearing a colonel’s uniform and medals. And he had written 18 spy novels as Alexander Wilson, drawing on his MI6 experiences.
Ruth previously told The Sun: ‘It was quite an interesting process because my grandmother wrote her memoir with a perspective… she only knew about one wife.
‘She had destroyed anything else that had any mention of my grandfather — any diaries or anything else. So she had this one thing that she was giving to the family, that was her narrative, her journey.’
‘When she died, a year later, we had two correspondence from two people to my uncle saying they thought they had the same father. My granny in reality only knew about one wife and, thank God, she didn’t really know about those two.’
Source: Read Full Article
