Michael Jackson's acting roles: All about films in which the King of Pop starred

The industry doesn’t make stars like Michael Jackson anymore; it's simply reassuring that there will always be one King of Pop. The late singer-performer has been turning pages in the 2020s, breaking streaming records and elevating the bar for music.

Michael Jackson’s craze has been mounting since the beginning of his career. As the songs hit the charts, his biopic, ‘Michael,’ continues to break box office records. Starring his nephew and acclaimed actor Jaafar Jackson, the film highlights the extraordinary journey and struggles of the star in the relentless pursuit, eventually shaping pop culture.

Jackson’s creative liberty and dance choreographies during his performances reached across the globe, making him one of the most popular people. However, with the talent such as his, the ‘Smooth Criminal’ singer even cruised through films and gave appearances. Moreover, he was also involved in creating short films that revolved around his musical universe. Let’s take a look at the titles that Michael Jackson was involved in.

Debuting in the film industry, Michael Jackson stepped into the limelight with a highly acclaimed role. The ‘Billy Jean’ singer starred as Scarecrow, which he played alongside his close friend and mentor, Diana Ross, as Dorothy. Directed by Sidney Lumet, ‘The Wiz’ (1978) revolved around Dorothy, the school teacher who shies away from trying anything new or leaving her neighborhood. After being transported to the fantasy land, Oz, she tries to find the wizard to get back to Manhattan. Jackson famously portrayed Scarecrow, whose outfits consisted of garbage and discarded junk from the city. He played the eccentric and energetic character, bringing a naive essence to the Land of Oz, according to IMDb.

Diving into ventures with the use of technology, Michael Jackson created a groundbreaking 3D sci-fi musical short film in 1986. Taking the viewers into an immersive experience, the ‘Bad’ singer wrote, performed, and co-choreographed the 17-minute film. Not only did he bring a three-dimensional effect while making the film, but he also used 4D ideologies through smoke machines and lasers to bring in-theatre physical effects for the guests. Starring Jackson as the lead, ‘Captain EO’ revolved around him and his crew on a spaceship, which gets captured by the evil leader. However, the late singer expresses that he has a key to her inner beauty – music and dance.

Michael Jackson, the experimenter of the generation, enhanced the tone and style of storytelling with his projects. Under the theme line of sci-fi fantasy storyline, the singer transforms into a robot and a spaceship to defeat the drug lord. However, he joined his long music videos, concert footage, and montages to create a whole anthology. Through ‘Moonwalker,’ Jackson highlighted the crucial struggles, evading media difficulties, and global issues. The film created a storm across the boundaries, which was based on the songs of his best-selling album.

Other than features, Michael Jackson made various special appearances in multiple films. He appeared as Agent M in ‘Men in Black II,’ alongside Will Smith. The singer even lent his voice to Leon Kompowsky in the Season 3 premiere, “Stark Raving Dad.” However, he was credited under the pseudonym John Jay Smith. Jackson made a cameo in ‘Miss Castaway and the Island Girls’ as Agent M.J. in 2004.