00:00One of the greatest privileges I have as a producer is getting the opportunity to work with incredible talent.
00:07Artists who share the same vision and passion to tell the stories that stir something deep within us.
00:14And when the stars align, there's nothing better.
00:18However, with that responsibility and that privilege comes the biggest challenge, which is casting.
00:27As you all know, every actor brings something different to a role.
00:31The way they transform words on a page to something that feels real and honest.
00:36A subtle change in dialect.
00:39A look that says everything without delivering a single line.
00:43It's those small things that make a profound impact on the way we perceive these characters.
00:49And it makes or breaks a film.
00:52Which is why we're making a film about Michael Jackson.
00:56A film based on real people.
00:58Getting the right cast was crucial.
01:01This was especially true with the role of Catherine.
01:06Finding an actress who could authentically portray the matriarch of the Jackson family.
01:11A woman with quiet strength, courage, dignity, and the one who kept the family together.
01:20Seemed like a nearly impossible task.
01:24And then I met Nia Long.
01:32Our first meeting was over Zoom.
01:35And for some reason our paths had never crossed.
01:37But I of course knew the body of her work.
01:39How can you not?
01:40With a career that has spanned nearly 40 years.
01:47Almost unheard of in Hollywood.
01:50Her range is an actress.
01:52And her significance in the black community.
01:55She's not only a highly respected actress.
01:58But dare I say, a legend.
02:05So as you can imagine, I was eager to meet her.
02:07I remember thinking how tough it was to get a sense of someone through a computer screen.
02:14But from the first moment, I felt it.
02:18She seemed to naturally connect with Catherine.
02:21Maybe it was her inner fortitude.
02:24Knowing that it comes from being a mother of two boys herself.
02:28Whatever it was, it was clear that something in her spirit and emotionally and powerfully connected to the part that
02:35she would ultimately play.
02:37When the Zoom ended, Antoine and I looked at each other and we said, that's our Catherine.
02:47That was only the beginning.
02:49What we saw over the coming months was truly astonishing.
02:53Her work ethic, the way she was able to transform herself and capture Catherine's unique essence.
03:01She didn't just portray Catherine, she became Catherine.
03:05Oftentimes during this, through a single look, demonstrating her resilience through nuanced expression,
03:13rather than simply delivering a line of dialogue.
03:17Something that is incredibly hard to do.
03:20And she pulled it off with ease.
03:23But Nia's strength mattered equally off camera.
03:26As you all know, we had two first-time actors in the roles of Michael,
03:32with Giuliano Valdi and Jafar Jackson.
03:40Neither of them had been on a film set before.
03:44And Nia's nurturing, her nurturing instincts immediately kicked in.
03:49Her sensitivity, her warmth, along with her understanding of the journey,
03:54served as a means of support and protection for both our young actors.
03:58That was truly a gift, something that I would always be eternally grateful for.
04:04Nia, I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor than you.
04:09For all your contributions to cinema,
04:13thank you for helping shape the emotional center of Michael.
04:17I'll never forget it.
04:19And neither will the audiences all over the world that have seen this celebration.
04:24I want to congratulate you.
04:27And as I said to you this morning,
04:29please take it all in today,
04:31because tomorrow,
04:32people will be walking all over you again.
