“Michael” actress Effie Spence applied for background work on an unspecified film before being cast as Liza Minnelli in the newly released Michael Jackson biopic.
“I saw the post and thought it was ‘Michael,’ because everything was really, really quiet at the time,” the actress revealed in an exclusive interview with Page Six.
“I submitted it, forgot about it, and weeks later, I was sitting in my car waiting for sushi when I got a call.”
She continued, “They were like, ‘Hi, we wanted to know your availability. The director saw you and wants to cast you as Liza Minnelli.'” And I thought: “For what?!” Huh! ? ”
But details of the project were kept secret, so Spence didn’t know she was playing Minnelli in Michael until pre-production began and costume fitting began.
“It was so exciting. It was the first time I had gotten a custom costume for a role, so it was really cool. It was incredible,” she said. “It was amazing to put on Liza’s hair and makeup and costumes and energy and the way she was on set encouraging me, excited me, accepting me. Everyone was like, ‘Liza, do you need anything?'” And it was a lot of fun. ”
The “Michael” star also opened up about what she learned while playing the Oscar-winning actress and singer.
“Liza helped me get my shoulders back a little more and my hands a little more comfortable,” she recalls. “I really appreciate her work and the way she approached stardom, her humor and elegance, and that I now have those elements in me.”
Spence researched Minnelli’s interviews, films, Broadway performances, and mannerisms before production.
“I’m very familiar with Liza Minnelli’s work because I’ve always been a huge fan,” Spence explained. “My process is to absorb, observe, let it stick and forget.”
“So I’ve seen her interview a million times, I’ve seen ‘Cabaret’ over and over again, and ‘Maybe This Time’ is one of my favorite musical songs.”
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, “Michael” focuses on the King of Pop’s life from his time with the Jackson Five in the late 1960s to the release of his third solo album, “Bad,” in 1987.
Jaafar Jackson, 29, the son of Jermaine Jackson and Michael’s nephew, is starring in the biopic as the legendary Billie Jean.
Spence’s Minnelli appears in a scene at New York City’s iconic nightclub-turned-theater Studio 54, showcasing her and Michael’s enduring friendship.
The two first became close when Michael was filming The Wiz in 1978. Minnelli’s mother, Judy Garland, famously played Dorothy in the original 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
Michael and Minnelli came into the spotlight as children and remained good friends throughout the 1980s and 1990s, often photographed together on the streets of New York and Los Angeles.
The “Thriller” hitmaker served as a groomsman and ring bearer at Minnelli’s star-studded wedding to her fourth husband, David Guest, in March 2002, after introducing her a year earlier.
After Michael’s shocking death in June 2009 at the age of 50, Minnelli paid tribute to him, calling him a “dear friend”.
She said at the time, according to the BBC: “I’m shocked. He was a dear, dear friend. All I can say to you is I’m very upset. He was a wonderful man, a really sweet and wonderful man.” “He was a genius and I will miss him until the day I leave.”
The EGOT winner and triple threat, now 80 years old, once again recalled the “Beat It” singer and their “longstanding friendship” earlier this year.
“From the moment I met Michael Jackson, I knew he was one of the most special people on the planet,” she wrote on Instagram in February. “We saw everything in each other: the dazzling highs, the dark lows, and everything in between. He was so much more than the King of Pop.”
Spence talked about playing Minnelli in Michael and shared his thoughts on their close bond.
“They had a great relationship throughout their lives,” she told Page Six. “When I think about it, I think they were both kids who grew up in an industry that wasn’t very kid-friendly, so they really supported each other.”
Spence hinted at the possibility of a Michael sequel and said he would like to play Minnelli again in the future, after praising Jaafar’s performance as the King of Pop’s uncle.
“I would be happy to be asked again,” she told us. “I want to expand that world for her. I know she’s in the zeitgeist again with her memoir. I love all of her work.”
Spence added: “If her biopic comes out, join me as Liza and continue her world. I promise to honor her.”
