Who plays Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, in Michael?

Colman Domingo plays Michael Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, in Michael. Domingo portrays the controversial patriarch and manager who helped turn his children’s musical talent into the Jackson 5 phenomenon.

Joseph Walter Jackson was born in 1928 and formed the family’s early musical discipline through demanding rehearsals and organized performances. The Jackson 5, featuring Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, signed with Motown in 1968 and became major pop stars with songs including “I Want You Back.”

Joe Jackson’s influence was central to the family’s success, but his strict and abusive treatment of his children has also shaped how his legacy is remembered. The film therefore presents a character connected both to Michael’s professional breakthrough and to the difficult family pressures surrounding it. Domingo is an Oscar-nominated actor known for Rustin, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Euphoria.