Jackie and Marlon Jackson Set the Record Straight Ahead of ‘Michael’

As excitement builds for the upcoming Michael biopic, Jackie Jackson wants fans to know one thing. The Jackson kids were not forced into fame. They chose it.

Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere, Jackie shared a story with PEOPLE that might surprise people. While many assume their father made them perform, Jackie says that is not true.

“A lot of people think my father forced this on us,” Jackie said of the late Joe, who was both patriarch and manager of the pop group. “No, he did not. We wanted to do it.”

Jackie, a member of the Jackson 5 and the second-oldest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s ten children, said the love for music started early and came from within.

His brother Marlon Jackson agrees and hopes the film shows a more relatable side of their story.

“I want the people to understand when they come see this movie that this family is no different than any other family,” Marlon told PEOPLE. “We have our ups and downs, trials, tribulations. And we learned to agree to disagree. And it's a huge family.”

At the premiere, several family members showed their support, including siblings La Toya, Randy, and Jermaine. Also there were Prince Jackson and Jaafar Jackson, who takes on the role of his famous uncle.

Jackie also looked back on their early days in Gary, Indiana. Life was far from glamorous.

“growing up in a small, tiny two-bedroom house, setting up our equipment every day, rehearsing every single day.”

Still, it was not all work. The brothers made time to be kids.

“We went outside and played sports, baseball, all the things.”

Their father, Joe, played a key role by encouraging their talent.

“saw the talent in his family, and he brought us instruments,” Jackie concludes of his father, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018 at age 89.

Another myth the brothers want to clear up is how quickly they became famous.

"How hard it was," as Jackie said, to break out in the music biz. Many "think it happened overnight for us," said Marlon. "It didn't."

Their journey took years of practice, patience, and persistence before they found success with Motown.

The new film Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, aims to show both the struggles and the triumphs.

Alongside Jaafar Jackson, the cast includes Colman Domingo as Joe, Nia Long as Katherine, and Miles Teller as John Branca.

The film hits theaters on Friday, April 24, giving fans a closer look at the real story behind one of music’s most famous families.