In the 90s, just as Magic Johnson was retiring from the game of basketball, another star with his initials was on the rise. And no, it wasn’t Michael Jordan. Instead, we are talking about Michael Jackson. The king of pop, who had finally split from the Jackson Five, was making waves across the world.
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He was quickly becoming the biggest entertainer in the world. And one night, he invited Magic Johnson to dinner to discuss a possible role for him. Jackson, who was planning the video for his then-upcoming song, wanted to cast Magic alongside Eddie Murphy. But, true to himself, the role Michael offered Magic as well as the dinner they ate together were all, in a way, peculiar.
Michael Jackson offered Magic Johnson the role of Eddie Murphy’s servant
Magic Johnson unfortunately retired from the NBA in 1991. After being diagnosed with HIV, the fear of contaminating other players and the lack of awareness about the disease effectively ended his career.
However, a man of Johnson’s charisma and fame is rarely removed from the public consciousness so easily. At the end of the day, he was still one of the greatest to ever play. So, Jackson naturally wanted him on the video.
So one day, Michael invited Magic for dinner at his place. He served Magic ‘freshly prepared chicken garnished with parsley and a bed of rice.’ But Michael’s dinner was a bucket of KFC.
In his book When the Game Was Ours, Johnson revealed how, after watching Michael Jackson get served KFC, he also requested the same. The two then ate fried chicken and discussed the possibility of Magic playing Eddie Murphy’s butler in Michael’s video.
“By the early nineties, the Jackson Five had disbanded, but the youngest brother, Michael, had become a pop icon with his Off the Wall album. His handlers called Magic one night and invited him to dinner. When Johnson arrived, he was presented with an elegant plate of freshly prepared chicken garnished with parsley and a bed of rice. Magic was about to dig in when he noticed that Michael Jackson had nothing in front of him. On cue, a servant came from the kitchen and placed a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken on Jackson’s plate. “Is that your dinner?” Magic asked. “You bet it is. I love this stuff,” Jackson answered. “Well, then, pass some over,” Magic said. “I love it too!” Over their fast-food meal, Jackson asked Magic to appear in his new video “Remember the Time.” Eddie Murphy had agreed to play the role of a pharaoh, and Magic would be cast as his servant.”
Remember the time featured Johnson alongside Eddie Murphy
Fortunately, Johnson accepted Jackson’s offer. Magic, who is worth some $620 million today, ended up playing the role of Eddie Murphy’s servant in the video. Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy played the role of a Pharoah in the video.
The iconic video was released in 1993. Johnson’s character was widely appreciated even though his acting was rough at the edges. There was just something about Magic’s charm. Everything he did was enticing.
