Harmony in the Spotlight:Michael Jackson & Tisha Campbell love story

The Wiz & School Daze

1978
Tisha:18
Michael:19

Tisha pov

I walked into Michael's house, excited to spend time with my best friend. As I settled in, Michael's brothers couldn't resist teasing me about a particular scene in School Daze.

"What's up with them?", Michael asked curiously

"I don't know", I lied. Right now I'm praying that Michael didn't see that scene. What are you talking about Tisha of course he would have. I forgot that School Daze came out before the Wiz.

"Just forget about them Tisha. My brothers can be jerks sometimes", Michael tells me

"So Tisha how was filming School Daze", Michael asked me

"It was fun, except the part where we put into separate hotel rooms"

"What do you mean?"

"For Spike to create tension between the cast he put all of the light skin women into a nice hotel while the dark skin & brown skin women were put into a motel"

"What about the men?"

"Oh, they were put into the same hotel as the light skins"

"But me being me I went hang out with the girls at the motel. I wasn't having any of that"

Michael chuckles

"School Daze must be a spectacular film"

"It is, it sheds light on important issues within African American community. I also enjoyed the musical numbers. It was so powerful and brought attention to the complexities of college life and social issues. Wait, you haven't seen it?"

"I was going to, but I busy"

Thank god I said in my head.

"So, Mike what was it like working on The Wiz?"

"It was dream come true. It was a modern twist on the Wizard of Oz with a fantastic cast. Diana Ross was amazing as Dorothy"

"I wonder how her old ass got the part", I mumbled under my breath

"What was that?"

"Oh.....umm.... I said Diana was phenomenal", I said while lying. And let's not forget you were fantastic as the scarecrow. I also loved your performance in ease on down the road it was unforgettable"

"Thanks, Tisha I appreciate it"

Ugh here comes Jermaine with a grin on his face

"Hey, Tisha, we saw that exotic scene in School Daze! You really brought the heat on screen!, Jermaine laughed

Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Randy joined him in laughter

I blushed, laughing in embarrassment at Jermaine antics.

"Oh, you caught that scene,huh? It was all part of the character's journey in the film"

Michael's other brother, Marlon, chimed in, "You really nailed that scene, Tisha! It takes talent to pull off such a daring role"

Michael stares at the both of his brothers with confusion in his eyes. Then he turns to me

"Tisha what are they talking about?"

"All I can say is that Michael you have to watch the full movie yourself to see what they're talking about"

With me, still smiling, I replied, "Thank you, guys! Acting allows me to explore different characters and emotions, even if it means stepping out of my comfort zone"

Michael, noticing my good-natured response, added, "Tisha is a versatile actress, and whatever scene you guys are talking about that scene was a testament to her dedication to her craft. It's all about telling a compelling story on screen"

God, Michael does know how to make a woman blush

Jermaine and Marlon teasing turned into lighthearted laughter as they reminisced about their reactions to that particular scene.

I appreciated the support and camaraderie from Michael and his brothers, knowing that they were all in good fun.

As our evening continued, Jermaine and them shared more jokes and of course Michael still being clueless. Until the next day Michael saw what his brothers were talking about. Luckily for Michael, he was supportive and understanding. Michael, knew that as an actress, I had to portray different characters authentically, even if it meant performing challenging scenes.

He appreciated my dedication to my craft and understood that the scene was part of the movie. Michael admired my talent and respected my professionalism as an actress.