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June 1984 - "Bop" Magazine Interview
...There are ways Michael has discovered to get away from all of the pressures of stardom. One of his ways of relaxing is going to museums.
"I like going to museums and learning and studying", Michael remarks, "I don't do sports--it's dangerous. There's a lot of money being counted on, and we don't to risk anything.
"My brother hurt his leg in a basketball game once and had to cancel a concert. And just because of him and having an hour of fun, thousands of people missed the show. I don't think it's worth it... I just try to be real careful."
It's because Michael cares so much about you that he takes such precious care of himself. He never wants to disappoint any of his fans.
Another way Michael takes super care of himself is through his strong religious beliefs, Michael is a devout Jehovah's Witness, and he lives his life through his spiritual beliefs.
"I believe in God", Michael says sincerely as he lowers his big, brown eyes. "I like to be straight. don't go crazy or anything.
"But not to the point of losing my perspective on life, or what you are, and who you are", he adds.
"A lot of entertainers, they make money and they spend the rest of their life celebrating that one goal they reached, and with that celebration comes the drugs and the liquor and the alcohol. You have to be and have some kind of discipline."
Through his strong religious beliefs, Michael has been able to discipline himself. He attends religious meetings three times a week, spends his Saturdays in religious worship, and on Sundays, you can expect to find Michael fasting and dancing alone in his bedroom.
Dancing is a very important part of Michael's life. Though one of the reasons you love him is because he's such a hot dancer, dancing is more than just moving on a dance floor to Michael.
"Dancing is really showing your emotions through bodily movements", Michael reveals. "When I dance, I really feel it, and I just let my instincts take over.
"I come alive when I'm on stage", continues Michael. "I'm confident and aggressive--but that's not hard for me. Onstage, I'm playing a role; I know what's expected of me, and what I have to do. It's all very well planned. Life isn't well planned; it's unpredictable. It scares me! Real life is much harder than being on stage."
Besides dancing onstage, Michael's heart also belongs to acting. After starring in the film "The Wiz" with his best friend, Diana Ross, Michael found out just how much fun acting is. In fact, he may be starring in The title role of the film version of "Peter Pan". "Peter Pan" is one of Michael's absolute favorite story book characters.
What is it about acting that is so appealing to Michael? He says, "If you want to really let out everything you feel, acting is the place to do it. With acting, it's like becoming another person. It lets you totally forget. If you can forget, which I *love* to do, that's magic. And I love to create magic!"