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Michael Jackson’s legacy will forever live on.

Introducing I’LL BE THERE, the heartfelt film that details the life of the late pop star, while telling a story of family and redemption. To date, MJ is revered as one of the greatest artists to ever do it, and his story deserves to be told.

Starring in the film is Jasmine Batchelor, an established producer, writer, and actor from Philadelphia and Atlanta. She co-stars alongside Ryan Cooper, as the film becomes available on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and more on November 15th.  

I’LL BE THERE tells the story of Grace (Jasmine Batchelor), the youngest of 5 in a blended family, who has distanced herself from her complicated family dynamics. But when her older brother AJ (Ryan Cooper) is diagnosed with cancer, Grace is forced to return to Los Angeles to face the ghosts of her past. As the family conjoins just days following Michael Jackson’s death, Grace must navigate her way to find healing amidst the pain.

Sheen Magazine spoke with Jasmine Batchelor about her background and the new film. 

 

Tell us a little about who Jasmine Batchelor is. How did your journey in acting and filmmaking begin, and what inspired you to pursue a career in the arts?

I started acting by accident, at the tail end of middle school. I was always arts focused – I sang  and danced from a small age, and loved to create stories and enact things I saw on tv (Angela  Bassett in “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and Whitney Houston in “The Bodyguard” shaped  my idea of femininity, strength, and talent on screen), but as a child, all I wanted was to  become a singer – I wanted to be Toni Braxton circa that debut album. It wasn’t until I  haphazardly auditioned for CCCEPA (the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing  Arts at Pebblebrook High School), that I realized I could actually act. I auditioned for both the  voice and acting departments and Acting was the department that hooked me in. Once I spent  some time in that high school black box theater, I felt something I hadn’t identified before – a  sense of belonging, like – “oh this was what was missing. I’m supposed to do this.”  

After that I found my way to an undergrad degree in acting, and then at The Juilliard School,  and then working in theater, tv, and film. I’ve learned that my favorite medium of acting is film –  I like that it feels like a mix between theater and tv, in that it’s one story, told over the course of  2 hours or so (like theater), but is on camera and requires very specific moment to moment  work (like television).  

It hasn’t always been an easy thing to be sure of, acting for a living, and I have tried to / been  influenced to quit a bunch of times – an actor’s life isn’t easy, it can be precarious financially,  mentally, and emotionally. But every time I try to do something else, some incredible story,  show, experience, or audition brings me back in, and I realize I’m not the same without it. I’m  an actor, through and through, and I love storytelling.  

Your breakout role in The Surrogate garnered critical acclaim and even a Gotham Award nomination. How did that experience shape your career and approach to choosing future roles?

I’m really lucky to have The Surrogate be a kind of introduction into the world of filmmaking –  I’m still incredibly grateful to Erica Hart and Jeremy Hersh for including me on that journey. It  was a project I’ll cherish all my life and with people I consider artistic family. 

In terms of how it shaped me artistically – it brought to light that whatever we are working on in  our lives, somehow shows up in what we are working on on screen. When I signed on to do  The Surrogate I was relatively fresh out of school, still trying to figure myself out – and so I was  doing a lot of unconscious people pleasing, trying to fit in and find a way in this industry, trying  to make something happen. In making that film and playing Jess, who was putting everyone’s  needs before her own, I found reflections of my own self- sabotaging behavior, and learned so  much about the person I did not want to be. Because of that I started to hone in on the  woman I really WANTED to be. She (Jess) really helped me find my voice, both as a Black  woman and actress.  

And so in future projects, with that knowledge of “something that this character is working on  is also somewhere inside of me,” I try to find challenges that I can learn from. In “I’ll Be There,”  I found myself confronting themes of hidden resentment and familial expectations – and again,  in caring for oneself. Hopefully the next project will be a rom-com so I can learn more about  humor and love! LOL! 

In I’LL BE THERE, you play Grace, a woman navigating complex family dynamics while confronting her past. What drew you to this character, and how did you prepare for such an emotionally charged role?

When I saw the breakdown for Grace in the “I’ll Be There” audition, I recognized the way she  was described, and felt like I could identify something in myself with that person. And then, in  the callback with Ryan, it felt easy to act with him and have a brother-sister relationship, and  so, when the offer came in, I thought – yeah! Why not spend a super hot summer in Austin,TX  doing a family drama! LOL! 

Before I got down to Austin to film, I had a few conversations with Cindy (the writer and who  Grace is based on) about her relationship with her brother, the family dynamic, her favorite 

music, and got to know her a little more. I wanted to base Grace in Cindy’s real life, while also  creating someone entirely different that I could embody onscreen.  

And because the material was sometimes so emotionally heavy, I did my best to also find joy  while shooting – I wasn’t on instagram or any social media at the time, so I brought my polaroid  and took pictures of everyone on set, and the places I’d visit in Austin. I’d go to the pool and  just veg out for a few hours. I’d listen to Off The Wall and make dinner (it’s my favorite Michael  album and the first cd I ever owned). I kind of lived a very quiet and solitary life while we shot  this, mainly because I needed my outside life to be quiet while Grace’s life was exceptionally  chaotic. 

I’LL BE THERE is set against the backdrop of Michael Jackson’s death, which plays a symbolic role in the film. How does that cultural moment influence your character’s journey, and what was it like to perform with such a significant historical event in the background?

I think that for Grace, MJ’s passing serves as a portal to her childhood and bond with her older  brother. I liken that “portal” experience to like, randomly seeing an ex’s car model, or attending  the concert of your estranged friend’s favorite artist, or smelling your grandmother’s perfume  randomly on the street – it’s like a calling to another time for her, and it brings up all of the  memories and complicated feelings that come with those memories, which, all of a sudden she  has to face.  

I’m someone who often deals with conflict at first with space – I need a little space to think over  how I feel, feel the feelings, and then come back and communicate when I can address the  issue with empathy, love, and the want to work together – and I found in playing Grace, that  she maybe took a lil’ TOO MUCH space (lol) and now has to address those family conflicts  turned resentments while in that portal.  

On a less serious note, its kind of like that Future meme, like, “I heard Wanna Be Starting  Something and all I could think about was how we used to start everything… hope you’re good  luv” — music, popular figures, moments in time – they always bring us back to where we were  when we first experienced them, and who we shared those moments with. 

The film tackle’s themes of family reconciliation and healing after trauma. What message do you hope audiences take away from Grace’s journey, especially in terms of blended family dynamics?

You know, I’m still figuring this out. I hope audiences are inspired to call the people they love, and that love them – and that they  are inspired to either address some healing, or address that healing within themselves, and let  go of what they can’t hold on to anymore. It’s very much giving Badu’s “Bag Lady,” you know? 

Working with co-stars like Dorien Wilson and Ryan Cooper must have been an exciting experience. What was the chemistry like on set, and how did the cast collaborate to bring such a powerful family story to life?

I love those two – they are like family. I just saw Ryan at the Soho film fest, and both he and  Dorien came to see me in a show I did at Lincoln Center last year. They’re so supportive, kind,  and were so much fun to be with on set. When you get to work with good people like that,  sometimes the acting doesn’t even feel like you’re working – we just became a family on set.  

As I’LL BE THERE prepares for its release on Prime Video and Apple TV, what excites you most about sharing this story with a wider audience, and what message do you hope viewers will take away from the film?

I’m interested to see what audiences will take away from it – I’m not sure what I want them to  feel, but I hope they feel something – and I hope they call their family members, and I hope they  enjoy some classic MJ, for sure. I am also so glad I do not have to watch it WITH them, LOL,  because watching myself is like top 3 things I cannot do anymore. It’s so strange! I deeply  believe in releasing a project to the audience after we’re done, because its an offering for you.  We’ve done our part, and we hope you like it/it makes you feel seen. 

You’ve worked extensively in theater and film. What are some differences in your creative process between the two mediums, and how do you bring your theater training into your film performances?

Well, first, thank you for that compliment – I am very much just starting out in my career, and  I’ll take that “work extensively” straight to my heart and hold it close. The only difference in preparation for me have to do with physically telling each story. On  stage, you often have to be bigger physically and vocally to get your story across, and so that  requires more warm up and recovery time, just for my body to be able to tell that story 8 times  a week for however long. This is why I love theater and am sometimes frustrated with it -it  requires so so so much of you, and I still haven’t found the balance between having a social life  and doing a play at the same time. I need too much downtime to prep and recover when I’m  doing a play. 

No matter what the medium though, I often think that an actor’s performance is only as good  as their environment and material. No one is doing this thing alone – both in theater and film,  everyone has to work together to create the thing that you as an audience witness. And if we  

don’t come together, what you see is sometimes disjointed and unrealized. It’s community  work, all of it, and when it gels, the stories and performances sing. 

As both a producer and writer, how important is it for you to tell stories that reflect the experiences of Black women, and what are some themes or narratives you’re passionate about exploring in your work?

I love this question.

I want to do whatever I can to uplift, support, and shine positive, affirming light on Black  women. That’s it. I love us, believe in us, and deeply believe we should be paid more, loved on,  and highlighted in this industry and beyond. And so if I get opportunities to play different facets  of us – I’m jumping at it. I wanted to play Grace because she was a Black woman I hadn’t seen  on screen – deeply flawed, not always “strong”, but capable, smart, sensitive, a little bit (okay  lot bit) of a mess – she’s a human being. We’re multidimensional, incredible people and we  should be reflected that way on screen.  

One of the figures I hope to bring to life is my luminary, Lorraine Hansberry. I think my acting  career will have the cherry on top when I get to make a film about her incredible life.  

With your roots in Philadelphia and Atlanta, how have those cities influenced you as an artist, and what advice would you give to young women of color looking to break into the entertainment industry?

I’m from North Philly – in fact my family’s block is mentioned in an early Jill Scott song! – and  my mom’s side of the family is still around that area. I was fortunate enough to be instilled with  a strong sense of Blackness and pride in my heritage when I was a kid there, and I take that  with me wherever I go. Some of the most fulfilling love and support I’ve experienced in my life  is in that city. My time in Georgia was the other side of the coin in community and celebrating  Black culture. I’m fortunate to have witnessed all kinds of us and be a part of that – and I want  to make sure that isn’t lost in my work or the things I chose to align with or anything I happen  to work on. 

To any young woman looking to break into the industry, it may sound cheesy, but the first thing  I would say is to believe in your gift first. Love yourself and like yourself, truly learn to value  your gifts first – before anybody else comes in and tries to tell you who you are or where you fit  in. Know you’re the shit before you invite anyone to help you, because it’s how you feel about  yourself that sets the tone with how people support/interact with you and your gift. I promise  you, your opinion is that one that matters, especially when it comes to YOU. And make sure  you have people who genuinely love you on your side, people who will tell you the truth, and  also encourage you and cover you with prayer/thoughts/intention, and who you do the same  for. 

After the release of I’LL BE THERE what’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects that you’re excited to share with us?

Right now I’m in a show airing on MGM+ (Amazon Prime) called EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK –  with Forrest Whitaker, Grantham Coleman, and Tiffany Mack — written by Sherman Payne, and  I get to play a very mysterious and sexy spy — quite the departure from “I’ll Be There,” —  check us out! 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jasmine Batchelor