Actor and comedian Flex Alexander recently reflected on his role in the controversial 2004 biopic Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, in which he portrayed the legendary King of Pop.

In late November, Alexander appeared on The Art of Dialogue, where the conversation turned to the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, starring the King of Pop’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the lead role.

Alexander’s own portrayal of Jackson occurred more than twenty years ago, in the made-for-TV movie Man in the Mirror, which addressed the serious allegations of child sexual abuse that had been made against the singer at the time. Despite the controversy surrounding the subject matter, Alexander has recounted the deep admiration he felt for Jackson, which inspired him to audition for the role.

Producers of the film reportedly told Alexander that the project would serve as an “homage” to the 13-time Grammy winner and assured him that they had secured the necessary licensing rights to use Jackson’s music.

“So at that time, imagine hearing that and thinking it’s going to be like the movie that’s coming out now, with Jaafar playing his uncle,” Alexander said at the two-minute mark of the interview. “I was thinking, that’s exactly what it’s going to be like.”

Alexander explained that he was given a “nice check” for his work and fully expected the film to be more of a tribute than a dramatization of the singer’s personal controversies. He also shared that he had rehearsed Jackson’s performances for the film, only to be informed later by lawyers that the music could not legally be used.

Beyond the music, Alexander expressed frustration about other aspects of the production. For instance, he was subjected to having white makeup airbrushed onto his skin to simulate Jackson’s vitiligo. Additionally, he revealed that Jackson himself had been upset by the film, though the singer did not criticize Alexander’s performance directly.

“He made comments about the movie,” Alexander said. “He was upset, but he never said anything about me or my performance. It was more about the allegations and the situation happening at the time. He was like, ‘Why do we have to keep talking about this?’”

Looking back, Alexander says he has learned to find humor in the experience. He even admitted to watching the film on YouTube at one point and acknowledged that it was “pretty bad.”

Man in the Mirror also featured Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Joe and Katherine Jackson, Michael’s parents, adding depth to the story of Jackson’s family life during a highly turbulent period. Alexander’s reflections underscore the challenges of portraying an iconic figure whose life and legacy remain complex and widely scrutinized.