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Michael Jackson once cried after watching Men in Black. Not from laughter, but actual tears. According to director Barry Sonnenfeld, the pop icon sat in a Paris theater after the credits rolled and “wept.” Why? Jackson thought the Will Smith-led alien romp was a “weepy,” not a comedy. That should’ve been the first clue: his eventual cameo in Men in Black II was always going to be weird.
Turns out, the King of Pop really wanted in on the sequel. And not just any role. As Sonnenfeld details in his memoir Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time, Jackson insisted on being an MIB agent. Sonnenfeld initially offered him a gig as one of the famous aliens, but Jackson wasn’t having it. “All that mattered to him was that he wore that black suit,” Sonnenfeld said (via BBC).
From Pajamas to Agent M: Michael Jackson’s 22-Second Dream Cameo Nearly Fell Apart
Sony Pictures and exec Amy Pascal were on board, thinking Jackson’s presence could be a win for both the movie and the star. But from the jump, things on set were chaotic. Jackson refused to leave his trailer. At one point, he appeared in red pajamas and nervously whispered, “Mr. Barry, can we do this tomorrow?” Sonnenfeld had to coax him out for hours; he even called Pascal to intervene.
