00:02Please welcome Graham King to the stage.
00:15Good morning everyone. It's so great to be here.
00:23Is that better?
00:27I have to read a few words about our beloved Nia.
00:34One of the greatest privileges I have as a producer is getting the opportunity to work with incredible talent.
00:42Artists who share the same vision and passion to tell the stories that stir something deep within us.
00:49And when the stars align, there's nothing better.
00:53However, with that responsibility and that privilege comes the biggest challenge which is casting.
01:01As you all know, every actor brings something different to a role.
01:06The way they transform words on a page to something that feels real and honest.
01:11A subtle change in dialect.
01:14A look that says everything without delivering a single line.
01:18It's those small things that make a profound impact on the way we perceive these characters.
01:24And it makes or break a film.
01:27Which is why when making a film about Michael Jackson, a film based on real people, getting the right cast
01:35was crucial.
01:36This was especially true at the role of Catherine.
01:40Finding an actress who could authentically portray the matriarch of the Jackson family.
01:46A woman with quiet strength, courage, dignity and the one who kept the family together.
01:55Seemed like a nearly impossible task.
01:59And then I met Nia Long.
02:07Our first meeting was over Zoom.
02:09And for some reason our paths had never crossed.
02:12But I of course knew the body of her work.
02:14How can you not?
02:15Not with a career that has spanned nearly 40 years.
02:21And was almost unheard of in Hollywood.
02:25Her range is an actress and her significance in the Black community.
02:30She is not only a highly respected actress but dare I say, a legend.
02:39So, as you can imagine I was eager to meet her.
02:42I remember thinking how tough it was to get a sense of someone through a computer screen
02:49but from the first moment I felt it she seemed to naturally connect with Catherine
02:56maybe it was her inner fortitude knowing that it comes from being a mother of two boys herself
03:03whatever it was it was clear that something in her spirit and emotionally and powerfully connected
03:09to the part that she would ultimately play when the zoom ended Antoine and I looked at each other
03:17and we said that's our Catherine
03:22that was only the beginning what we saw over the coming months was truly astonishing
03:28her work ethic the way she was able to transform herself and capture Catherine's unique essence
03:35she didn't just portray Catherine she became Catherine
03:40oftentimes during this through a single look demonstrating her resilience through nuanced
03:47expression rather than simply delivering a line of dialogue something that is incredibly hard to do
03:54and she pulled it off with ease
03:58but Nia's strength mattered equally off camera
04:01as you all know we had two first time actors in the roles of Michael with Giuliano Valdi and Jafar
04:09Jackson
04:15neither of them had been on a film set before
04:18and Nia's nurturing her nurturing instincts immediately kicked in
04:24her sensitivity her warmth along with her understanding of the journey
04:28served as a means of support and protection for both our young actors
04:33that was truly a gift something that I would always be eternally grateful for
04:39Nia I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honour than you
04:43for all your contributions to cinema
04:47thank you for helping shape the emotional centre of Michael
04:51I'll never forget it
04:53and neither will the audiences all over the world
04:56that have seen this celebration
04:59I want to congratulate you
05:01and as I said to you this morning
05:03please take it all in today
05:05because tomorrow
05:07people will be walking all over you again
05:10thank you
05:11thank you
05:20you
Comments