It’s time to give Jason Weaver his flowers. He’s been doing his rounds with the press recently for the 30th anniversary of Disney’s The Lion King. Weaver provided the singing voice for young Simba in the animated 1994 film and is still cashing in his royalties from it.
Also just last month, Weaver followed in the footsteps of cultural icons like James Brown, Muhammad Ali and Chance the Rapper, to name a few, when he served as the grand marshal for the 95th annual Bud Billiken Parade, the largest African-American parade in the U.S.
While early success can be a curse for some child stars, Weaver has been able to withstand the ups and downs of the entertainment business. While his early work is already legendary, his legacy is still being written.
Throughout his career, spanning 40 years, Weaver has prioritized telling Black stories, providing comedic relief in many of his roles on TV and in film. The 45-year-old actor and singer brought viewers joy as the cunning and conniving middle child, Jerome, alongside Brandy Norwood and lead stand-up comedian Thea Vidale in the early 1990s ABC sitcom “Thea.” He became a Black cultural staple by bringing on the laughs as he played the sometimes devious and always plotting Marcus Henderson — older brother to child star Tahj Mowry’s T.J. Henderson — in the late ‘90s WB sitcom “Smart Guy,” which later would rerun on the Disney Channel. Then in the 2000s, he transitioned into film: showing us the process of pledging to a Black fraternity as Ernest in Drumline, and representing the dirty South as gold grill maker Teddy in ATL.
“I think as a performer, you want to be given the opportunity to display your full range of talent,” Weaver told The TRiiBE. “Being typecast is a real thing, especially [for] guys like myself who play the comic relief pretty well and who can make the star look good and give them that support in order for them to shine. I play that role on the team really, really well.”
But the role that initially introduced most of Black America to Weaver, and won us over, is the 1992 ABC miniseries, The Jacksons: An American Dream, in which he starred as young Michael Jackson. Although Weaver was 11 years old when he first auditioned for the role, his portrayal as the budding young King of Pop is revered as Black cinematic greatness caught on film.
Weaver told The TRiiBE that the Jacksons biopic is what catapulted him into child stardom.
“There were kids literally auditioning from all around the world, just simply to play that particular Michael when they were at the height of The Jackson 5 fame and when they got discovered,” Weaver said. “I still trip out off of the fact that a phenomenal talent like Michael Jackson, probably highly regarded as the greatest entertainer of all time, would see something in me.”
There is a new Michael Jackson biopic in the works, set to release on April 18, 2025. Directed by renowned Training Day and The Equalizer trilogy filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, the highly anticipated film is titled Michael, and unlike The Jacksons: An American Dream, it will solely focus on the life of Jackson until his untimely death at age 50 in 2009. Jermaine Jackson’s son Jaafar is playing the King of Pop, and there’s been photos circulating online of him on set with Emmy Award-winning actor Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and NAACP Image Award-winning actress Nia Long as Katherine Jackson.
Weaver said the filmmakers reached out to him about a possible role in Michael.
“They did reach out to me to audition for the role of Barry Gordy,” Weaver told The TRiiBE. “I wasn’t available because I was here in Chicago doing ‘The Chi.’”
He continued, “It would have been cool to make an appearance if it would have worked out. But I think, at the same time, too, that film needs its own identity.”
Weaver’s serious and comedic roles through the ‘90s and 2000s made him a staple in Black cinema and a legend in his hometown Chicago. He’s refused to be forgotten. He’s refused to lay down and let the industry steamroll him. And he’s refused to turn down good work. That mindset is what led to his return to a dramatic role on Showtime’s “The Chi.”
“Shoutout to Lena Waithe for giving me the opportunity to be a part of telling this story as a born and raised, proud Chicagoan,” Weaver said. He grew up on Chicago’s South Side and proudly reps Thornwood High School. “Unfortunately, there have been so many negative narratives that have been thrust out there. People have this misconception of what Chicago is and what it’s all about. They just think it’s just all gangster, shoot em up, death and drugs. Don’t get me wrong. That element does exist in this city, unfortunately, but that’s not what I remember and that’s not what I know.”
Weaver recently visited The TRiiBE office for a one-on-one interview. He discussed the beginnings of his career, expressed his gratitude for the Jackson family and revealed a new animated project he’s working on with SNL’s longest-tenured cast member, Kenan Thompson.
“I think when people see it, when it eventually gets out there in the marketplace, it’s going to push the needle forward and it’s going to present us in a truthful light within the realm of animation,” Weaver said about his animated project. “I think our community in particular is really going to be able to relate to it and ultimately celebrate it. So I’m very excited about that.”
Read our full interview with Jason Weaver below.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
The TRiiBE: We have a mental list of people we’ve always wanted to interview. Some of the people consist of Chief Keef, Beyoncé and you, of course. We have big ambitions.
Jason Weaver: It’s definitely a pleasure and an honor to be here, absolutely.
We’ll start off with you being the grand marshal for the Bud Billiken Parade. We were there and the energy was great. How did it feel to be on the South Side that day?
It was incredible. My family is originally from East 71st Street and South Michigan Avenue. I spent a great deal of my childhood and teenage years in high school out in South Holland, where I attended Thornwood High School. Shout out to Thornwood District 205!
Throughout the course of my life, members of my family and myself all grew up going to the Bud Billiken Parade. What that parade represents for all of us, I think, is unity in the community, and celebration of Black culture, Black history, and Black excellence.
So to do this interview with The TRiiBE and also be grand marshal of the Bud Billiken Parade, I’m on fire, Chicago!
So let’s get right into it. I put The Jacksons: An American Dream in the category of great historical Black content. How old were you when you auditioned for that role?
I was maybe 11 and a half, going on 12 years old.
It was a pretty strenuous auditioning process. There were kids literally auditioning from all around the world simply to play Michael when they were at the height of The Jackson 5 fame and when they got discovered. So there was a tremendous amount of pressure throughout the process of auditioning.
When I finally booked the role and then going to work day-to-day, it was a worthwhile challenge. The work ethic, the amount of time and energy that we put into into rehearsals and studying the characters and the lines, I mean, a lot of those things I learned back then I still carry with me to this day.
Most aspiring actors have to move to LA or New York for their acting careers. Did you have to do that to get this role?
That’s a great question too. Back then, these casting directors would put out these character breakdowns, looking for kids to audition from all around the country. A lot of the time they would take the kids from LA more seriously because they were local hires and things like that. Kids like myself, who came from Chicago, we put ourselves on tape wherever our agent’s office is. In my case, it was Elizabeth and Anne Geddes. They had an office here as well as in LA.They put me on tape, back then there was no internet or anything like that, so they literally mailed out audition tapes.
I then got invited to come out to Los Angeles. I went out there and auditioned in front of the family, executive producers, the director, and eventually there was one tape that went to Michael [Jackson].
It was an honor to be able to portray Michael Jackson, especially during that time when he was actually here, to be able to see it and give his feedback and everything. To this day, I can’t thank him enough. God rest his soul. I can’t thank his family enough.
How did it feel knowing Michael Jackson chose you?
Surreal. I still trip out off of the fact that a phenomenal talent like Michael Jackson, probably highly regarded as the greatest entertainer of all time, would see something in me. For someone operating at that magnitude of stardom, to look down from Mount Olympus, so to speak, and see this kid from Chicago and recognize the talent in him, it’s just incredible.
I was born in 1992. By the time I was watching the Jacksons miniseries, the cast were all heavy hitters. Was the casting a big deal at the time or did the film put a lot of these actors on?
That’s another good question. I wouldn’t necessarily say the Jacksons put them on. [Angela Bassett, Billy Dee Williams, Vanessa Williams, Holly Robinson Peete, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs] were veteran and legendary actors in their own right, too. I think what it did for Angela Bassett in particular was solidify her position as a leading lady, a Black leading lady with tremendous star power that can carry a film.
I would get goosebumps just being around these people. You recognize them for the work they’ve done and also recognize you’re in that moment where you’re actually learning from them and they’re sharing information with you — not only for the betterment of the film, but to also help you.
There’s a new biopic called Michael that’s coming out, with Jermaine Jackson’s son Jaafar starring as Michael. Have the filmmakers reached out to you at all?
They did. Shoutout to Antoine Fuqua, who is the director of that new biopic. They did reach out to me to audition for the role of Barry Gordy. They were looking at myself and Larenz Tate, and Larenz eventually went on to do it. He’s been cast as Berry Gordy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t available because I was here in Chicago doing “The Chi.” It would have been cool to make an appearance if it would have worked out.
But I think at the same time, too, that film needs its own identity. We did our part with telling a story [about the Jacksons] at that particular time. Now there’s a new generation of performers who will get the opportunity and the honor of being able to portray and celebrate that family’s legacy. So I wish them all the best. I’m really excited to see it.
Your debut album, Love Ambition, was released in 1995 by Motown Records. Did portraying the role of little Michael Jackson help influence your decision to sign with Motown?
Yeah, that’s how the whole deal came about. Mr. Jheryl Busby was the CEO and president of Motown at that time. God rest his soul. Him and another executive from Motown at that time, Mr. Steve McKeever, were coming to the Jacksons’ set maybe, like, every other week, because we were using original Motown music. We were using the original catalog. So when we would have performance days, they would show up.
So one particular day when I was performing, Mr. Busby was there, got a chance to hear me sing live and see me perform, and thought that I would make for a good artist that could be on the new roster of Motown. He presented an opportunity for me to sign to the label and to put out a solo project, and it kind of just seemed natural.
We put Love Ambition out as an album and as a single. I was received with, I think, a lot of love. I know obviously it didn’t reach commercial success back then. It charted, and it charted very well. But I think ultimately, what Love Ambition did was just for us to be able to establish a real connection through the music, especially here in Chicago. Love Ambition to this day, and shout out to my hometown, is one of those records that gets played amongst the steppers. And it gets played on the radio occasionally. It’s something that this city kind of holds dear; it’s like a steppers anthem.
You played the middle child Jerome in “Thea,” Marcus Henderson in “Smart Guy,” Ernest in Drumline and Teddy in ATL. Did you intentionally decide to take on more of a comic relief role at that point in your career or was that just a structure of Black sitcoms in the 1990s? Because, I gotta say, as Marcus Henderson, I thought you were a comedian. You were hilarious.
That’s a great question. I think back then, during that era, a lot of the opportunities for young Black actors, and young Black male actors in particular, were on sitcoms. Leaning more towards comedy and understanding that cadence and that language and that timing is something that comes natural for me. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a formal comedian. I’ve never gotten up on stage and done six minutes of stand up. I just know what connects with people.
A lot of my humor, and a lot of the things that I find funny, are things that everyday people find funny just in life. I like to portray roles that allow us to see ourselves on screen and to be able to relate and connect to. I wanted people, especially within our community, to be able to go, “Oh, I know that guy,” or, “oh, that’s me!”
The Jacksons: An American Dream came out in 1992 and Drumline in 2002. During that 10 year period, you were mostly on TV. Did you want to do more films or were you consumed by TV?
No, I just wanted to work. That’s always been the goal with me. I’m gonna keep it real, man. As Black actors, you’re not afforded that luxury to say what you want to do. And to be honest, whether I could afford that luxury or not, just me being able to express myself creatively is what it’s all about — as long as the work is good, as long as the script is good, as long as the story that we’re telling is something that’s going to move the needle forward or have an impact on people.
Whether you’re able to do it through one particular medium or the other, when given the opportunity to do that on a legitimate platform where you don’t have to compromise your morals or your integrity as a person and as a performer, then jump at the chance and do it. There’s no such thing as turning down good work for me.
Now, if it doesn’t make sense, I’m not showing up.
Were there roles during that period that you did turn down?
Oh, yeah. There have been a lot of roles throughout the course of my career that I’ve actually just respectfully declined to be a part of. A lot of them would just do the things that I didn’t feel was appropriate, as it related to representation and especially representation as a young Black male. A lot of the things that I’ve turned down I viewed as being stereotypical and being low hanging fruit and things that I feel wouldn’t be worthwhile to even present to my community, much less the world. So most of the time when I turn down a project, it has something to do with me as a man, particularly as a Black man, where I’m like, I’m not about to do that.
Can’t always play the pimp and the drug dealer…
Or not even that. It’s just if you play those kinds of roles, let it be about something. Let us get from point A to point B, telling a story where there’s a lesson in there. Let’s not glorify bullshit. Excuse my language.
You’ve been a character on “The Chi” for a few seasons. It’s got to be a full circle moment for you to be home, acting in a show about home, set at home, highlighting your home.
Absolutely. It’s definitely a full circle moment for me to be here. Shoutout to Lena Waithe for giving me the opportunity to be a part of telling this story as a born and raised, proud Chicagoan who now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Unfortunately, there have been so many negative narratives that have been thrust out there that people have this misconception of what Chicago is and what it’s all about. They just think it’s just all gangster, shoot em up, death and drugs. Don’t get me wrong, that element does exist in this city but that’s not what I remember and that’s not what I know.
I know and remember the community. I know barbecues, I know going to school. I know holidays with my family. I know playing football with my friends in the park. Those are the things that I remember growing up as a Chicagoan. To be able to be a part of a show [like “The Chi”], telling the story of the Black experience that happens here in this city, where we’re presenting the truthful [and] real narrative, that’s why I’m so proud to be a part of it. “That’s what The Chi represents.”
That’s actually The TRiiBE’s mission statement: to reshape the narrative of Black Chicago from all of those misconceptions.
So we are on the same page. Not only are those of us who grew up here sick of that negative narrative being recycled over and over again, but I think those of us who are in these positions now of power and influence and who really care about the future and how we shape minds are [sick of it], too.
The next generation of young Black Chicagoans coming out of this city now, I want y’all to know the real history of this town. You got something to be proud of. There are people who come from this city and come from our communities who are doing great things that you may not know about.
Do you know that Muhammad Ali used to live here? Did you know Dr. [Martin Luther] King Jr. used to live here? Did you know Melvin Van Peebles went to Thornton High School?
You’re no stranger to being in roles alongside industry giants. How does it feel to now be playing the love interest of a giant like Lynn Whitfield?
Incredible. Shoutout to Lynn Whitfield. I’ve been in this business for 40 years. I’ve worked with everybody. I’ve seen it all, damn near done it all. But being on set with Lynn Whitfield is like going to school all over again. She just plays at a different level. She’s an amazing woman. She’s a beautiful woman, inside and out. Just the level of talent and commitment to the craft that she brings to our show every day, it’s just something that I recognize, acknowledge and respect, and so does the rest of the cast. We’re just so honored and so happy to have her a part of the show now.
“The Chi” is like your transition from the funny roles to more of a serious role. What do you attribute this to? Is this your growth as a man or your growth as an actor?
Yeah, both. It’s just time. I think as a performer, you want to be given the opportunity to display your full range of talent. And unfortunately, sometimes in Hollywood, although it pays the bills, at times, being typecast is a real thing, especially [for] guys like myself who play the comic relief pretty well and who can make the star look good and give them that support in order for them to shine. I play that role on the team really, really well. Those are the kind of opportunities that I’ve been presented with. They paid the bills. I’m not complaining. I’ve been very blessed, because even those roles that I’ve done, they’ve been notable roles that people really like and have been able to connect with.
When Lena and I first established our friendship and our relationship, that was one of the things that she shared with me. That she would like to provide the kind of opportunity [for] me to show people what I’m about as an actor, just full range. This is before “The Chi.” I think the pilot had just been greenlit.
What a lot of people don’t know is, just to give some backstory, I’ve been a part of “The Chi” since the pilot, but unfortunately, I wasn’t picked up when the show got picked up. I was originally cast as Ronnie in “The Chi.” The network just wanted to go a different direction with the show altogether. But Lena told me, “bro, don’t worry.” Whether it’s this show or another show, she was like, “I’m gonna write something and give you an opportunity to really show people what you’re about, because you’ve yet to be able to really display that. We just gonna trust in God and we gonna trust and hope that everything aligns to where you’ll be given that opportunity to do your thing.” This is just a testament to just how real she is, on top of her being a brilliant writer and a brilliant actor, an amazing person.
And it just so happens that when season four came about, that Shaad was created and it just fit perfectly for me. I didn’t even audition for that role. Playing that role has really given me an opportunity to reintroduce myself to the audiences who have been following me throughout all these years, but also to introduce me to people who may have not been familiar with some of my past work and who are now like looking at me more as being a dramatic actor versus a comedic actor.
I’m sure you have more aspirations. What are your dreams at this point in your career?
Another great question. Honestly, I’m just looking to continue to work consistently by creating my own opportunities and building and creating opportunities for my other peers and colleagues through original content creation and development. We just had a strike last year that was very turbulent and tumultuous for those of us who are members of Screen Actors Guild and for the Writers Guild. I think we all recognized, to some degree, we’re expendable, or viewed as expendable, especially among studios. It has forced a lot of us to begin to think outside of the box and slowly begin to pivot into carving out our own opportunities.
I’m developing an animated project. I won’t speak too much on it because it’s in development, and I’m doing it with the studio, but hopefully, if given the opportunity where this thing is fully greenlit, it will give me an opportunity to continue to work as a voice actor. It’ll give me the opportunity to grow and build as an executive producer. It’ll also give me the opportunity to employ friends of mine who I know deserve more opportunities through our industry, who maybe have been overlooked.
I also want to be able to use that to transition into gaming. I think gaming is the future. It’s even a more lucrative industry than film and television.
Jason Weaver is working on a cartoon, guys. We’ll keep our eyes out on that.
It’s gonna be crazy, too. I actually reached out to my friend Kenan Thompson, so he came on board to work on this with me. I think when people see it, when it eventually gets out there in the marketplace, it’s going to push the needle forward and it’s going to present us in a truthful light within the realm of animation. I think our community in particular is really going to be able to relate to it and ultimately celebrate it. So I’m very excited about that.
Chicago is still fighting to be known as a significant place in the film and TV industry, despite the proven record that some of the best films in TV have been made or set in Chicago. What do you say to young filmmakers and actors in Chicago who want to get into the industry but may not have the means to move to LA or New York?
There’s no one easy answer, but here’s what I’ll say, especially for filmmakers who are from here. If you want to go East or go West in your journey at this point, you’re just doing it because you want to have the experience. But you can tell a story from anywhere. You can shoot a beautiful story right here in Chicago. You don’t necessarily have to go out there to be a storyteller. I mean, you can go out there to get formal training. You can go to a film school or something like that out there. But, I mean, they have film courses at DePaul. They have, I’m sure, film courses at Olive–Harvey College. There are plenty of resources and things right here in the city that you can take advantage of.
You could upload your film onto a platform and it can get seen by its own niche audience. You don’t have to worry about necessarily shopping your project to a network executive because you can easily just upload something on YouTube and build your audience from there. Then they’ll come find you.
Even when people say, “Oh, I don’t have the equipment and the fancy cameras,” man, Steve Sonnenberg and a few directors are shooting films on iPhones right now. So there’s no excuse. Just get out there and do it. Have faith in yourself and do the work.
The post There are no limits for Jason Weaver appeared first on The TRiiBE.
