Jacko's Wacko Movie
Tonight on VH1,
Flex Alexander impersonates the scandal-ridden King of Pop in
Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story (9 pm/ET). With
Jacko's child-molestation trial looming, and weird news stories breaking about him almost daily, the role must've posed quite a challenge. Especially for Alexander, a comic actor best known from his UPN sitcom,
One on One. Here, he tells TV Guide Online all about moonwalking in
Jacko's spooky shoes.
TV Guide Online: Did Jackson's legal troubles scare you?
Flex Alexander: It didn't deter me because no one can say he's guilty! They just have thoughts and opinions. If we all lived the life that he lived, being a star at four or five years old, we might be a little different, too. Him and God know what happened. Let the court take care of it, and let's focus on the good he's done for children and this world.
TVGO: So this film isn't a hatchet job?
Alexander: The movie is very positive. I learned more about Michael Jackson than I ever knew. I think he's a wonderful person. We shouldn't cast judgment — we should pray for him, if that's needed. We cover his life from "Thriller" until now. We deal with the allegations, but we don't go deep into it. We don't avoid it at all, but we leave it to where you can decide.
TVGO: What's your take on the rumor that he fathered quadruplets via a surrogate mom in Florida?
Alexander: What? I didn't even know that! Wow. If he did, good for him, man. We should really just let Mike be Mike and also let this trial play out. If he's guilty, let the law be served to its fullest extent.
TVGO: You refused to simulate Jackson's plastic-surgery look. Why?
Alexander: I didn't want to wear a fake nose, a prosthetic chin or any of that. People are already going to be watching this under a microscope, so if I wore that stuff, it would become all about that.
TVGO: Do you mimic his odd speaking voice?
Alexander: I worked on the voice and mannerisms and did a good job. I let his nephew Auggie Jackson see it, and he was amazed with the job I did. Hopefully, the public will appreciate it just as much.
TVGO: One problem. Jacko doesn't look black anymore, but you still do...
Alexander: (Laughs) Yeah, I had a three-and-a-half hour makeup job to change my skin tone. But I did find out he really has vitiligo. Realistically, if you stop to think about it, you can't bleach your skin. We were privy to photographs most people haven't seen. I also saw other people with vitiligo who turned albino white. We address this as a serious skin issue in the film. We didn't poke fun at it, and I think he'll appreciate that.
