KeiLyn Durrel Jones plays Bray in the pop star’s new biopic.

Who is Bill Bray? All about the security guard who Michael Jackson considered a ‘father’

KeiLyn Durrel Jones plays Bray in the pop star's new biopic.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer, and many other publications.

EW's editorial guidelines

April 29, 2026 5:39 p.m. ET

Bill Bray; KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bray in 'Michael'. Credit:

by PA Images via Getty; lionsgate

- Bill Bray served as Michael Jackson's bodyguard throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s.

- He's played by KeiLyn Durrel Jones in the Jackson biopic *Michael*.

- Bray died in 2005, having grown estranged from the Jackson family.

In *Michael*, Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson) is at odds with his overbearing father, Joe (Colman Domingo). He finds a friend (and a protector) in his bodyguard, Bill Bray (KeiLyn Durrel Jones), who serves as a sounding board and a source of strength, particularly after Michael's clashes with Joe.

Considering his large role, fans might be wondering: Is Bill Bray based on a real person? The truth is that, yes, Bill Bray was Michael's real-life security guard for much of the singer's professional career. But he was also more than that, with Michael having likened him to a father figure.

Below, we dig into what we know about the press-shy Bray — and the actor who portrays him in *Michael*.

Who is Bill Bray?

Michael Jackson arrives at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport with Bray in 1987.

Wan Kam-yan/South China Morning Post via Getty

Bill Bray was a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer who began working with Michael during the singer's years with the Jackson 5 in the early '70s.

According to a 1989 feature in *Rolling Stone*, Bray was more than just a protector, but also one of the pop star's "closest confidants." It's said that, in addition to "overseeing all safety procedures," Bray advised Michael on business deals and even took the singer to the doctor when he was sick.

Michael described Bray as "very careful and immensely professional" in his 1988 autobiography *Moonwalk*. "He travels with me everywhere and occasionally he's my only companion on short trips. I can't imagine life without Bill; he's warm and funny and absolutely in love with life. He's a great man."

Why doesn’t 'Michael' address Michael Jackson’s controversies?

Where are Michael Jackson's kids now — and how do they feel about his new biopic?

Bray stayed by Michael's side throughout the mid-90s. A handwritten note from Michael to Bray was published by TMZ in 2019. The note, which is said to have been written around 1992, finds the singer thanking Bray for "being a father." The letter also references Michael's own father.

"Joseph never ever had time for me; he only saw me as a way for him to make money," it reads. "And as you know, mother was a perfect mother, but I never was with her. My childhood was on stage away from mother. What I'm trying simply trying to say is thank you for being a father. I don't know what would have happened to me if you were not around. I love you."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

The *Rolling Stone* piece touches on this fatherly tension, calling Bray a "surrogate father" for Michael as it notes how Joe "even complained to a reporter that Bray denied him access to Michael."

Who plays Bill Bray in Michael?

Jones at the 'Michael' premiere in Hollywood; Bill Bray.

Emma McIntyre/WireImage; PA Images via Getty

Bray is played by KeiLyn Durrel Jones, who, prior to joining the cast of *Michael*, appeared on a slew of popular series, including *Succession*, *Better Call Saul*, and *The Other Two*, among many others. He played a leading role in Natasha Rothwell's Hulu 2024 series *How to Die Alone*.

Speaking with Screen Rant, Jones discussed the rapport he shared with Jaafar, who played Michael, on set. "[Even] between takes and off-screen, he and I just sort of built a rapport," he said. "Bill and Michael were famous for playing pranks on each other and being jokesters. And Jaafar and I, naturally, it wasn't like intentional, 'We have to do this bond,' sort of thing. We just got to know each other and had fun doing it."

Where is Bill Bray now?

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson and Jones as Bill Bray in 'Michael'.

Glen Wilson/Lionsgate

Bray died in November 2005. His Reuters obituary mentions that Bray and Michael "had a falling out in the mid-1990s" for reasons that were never made public.

A 2004 Fox News report caught up with Bray when he was "bedridden, ailing, and in grave condition" with cancer. According to the outlet, Bray had not seen or heard from anyone in the Jackson family "for at least five years."

"Michael and Bill were so close he was like his real father," said Bray's wife, Gail. "That's what he called him. There was one time at the beginning when Michael finished a show, he would run and jump in Bill's arms when he got off stage."

For his part, Bray remained loyal to Michael until the end. "I don't want to say anything that would hurt Michael," he said.

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Friends and Family

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”