The cast of Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s forthcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael has come into focus lately with the casting of many of the film’s pivotal roles. The studios announced on Monday, March 25th that they have cast several new key roles in the highly anticipated film, now in production, with a group of individuals who have featured prominently throughout Michael’s life.
Chief among them is Larenz Tate, who plays Motown Records founder and impresario Berry Gordy – the man who redefined American music by developing and giving a national platform to such acts as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips – and the Jackson 5 – to name a few.
Other new prominent roles include the following:
- Kat Graham plays the legendary Diana Ross, lead singer of the chart-topping Motown group The Supremes, who was one of the label’s most successful groups in the 1960s before Diana embarked on a celebrated and decades-long solo career in the 1970s, along with acclaimed acting roles. Given her star power and influence, Motown would have Diana officially introduce the Jackson 5 to the world. She remained a life-long influence on Michael.
- Jessica Sula plays Michael’s older sister La Toya, the fifth child and middle daughter of the Jackson family, who first gained recognition in the mid-1970s on the family’s variety TV series The Jacksons. She went on to launch a solo career releasing multiple albums in the 1980s.
- Liv Symone will play Gladys Knight, whose soulful voice and electric performances alongside her family (as the Pips) produced several #1 hits for Motown, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”; later, her signature song, “Midnight Train to Georgia,” would bring worldwide popularity to the Empress of Soul.
- Kendrick Sampson plays legendary, 28-time Grammy Awards®-winning songwriter, composer, and producer Quincy Jones, who first met Michael when he was just 12 years old. The pair would go on to collaborate on three of Michael’s most successful albums: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987).
- KeiLyn Durrel Jones plays Bill Bray, who was originally hired by Joe Jackson in the 1970s as security for the Jackson 5. Bray went on to work exclusively with Michael for nearly three decades, becoming one of his most trusted friends.
- Kevin Shinick plays Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, where the Jackson 5 made a legendary early appearance in their rise to fame.
Producer Graham King announced, “I’m thrilled that we were able to bring together such a gifted group of actors for this film,” and then added “What they bring to these key roles provides a rich backdrop for the movie, adding to the extraordinary ensemble.”
MICHAEL is in theaters on April 18, 2025!
ABOUT THE FILM
- Genre: Biography, Drama, History
- Starring: Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Peyton Riley McConville, Juliano Valdi, Reid McConville
- Director: Antoine Fuqua
- Screenplay: John Logan
- Producer: John Branca, Graham King, John McClain