Paris Jackson, daughter of late pop legend Michael Jackson, has an unexpected appearance in the 2023 Amazon Prime Video series Swarm. The Amazon original TV show, Swarmwas created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, who worked with Glover on two episodes of Atlanta. The dark comedy horror miniseries follows Andrea “Dre” Greene (Dominique Fishback), a music fan obsessed with pop star Ni’jah (Nirine S. Brown). His commitment to Ni’jah takes Dre down a dark and disturbing path.
While Swarm is not based on a true story, it weaves together themes of fandom, celebrity worship, and internet stalking that are more relevant than ever in today’s hyper-online society. SwarmThe satirical and mocking side of is aided by the long list of celebrity guests that appeared in the series. Paris Jackson is one of those characters. The second daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, and Michael’s only daughter, Paris began her professional music career in the 2010s and, at the end of the decade, entered films and TV shows to complement her singing career.
Paris Jackson plays Hailey/Halsey in Swarm
The real Halsey and Swarm’s Halsey have something in common
Paris Jackson appears in Swarm episode 2, “Honey”, as Hailey, a stripper who dances under the name “Halsey” and has an abusive boyfriend. In the episode, Hailey talks to Dre, a black woman, and describes her father as “half“. Dre, in disbelief, asks: “Half of what? Black?“. Hailey confirms this and explains that this is why she performs under the stage name “Halsey,” which is the name of a real-life singer, Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, who also has a black father and white mother (via Vulture). Halsey said of her multiracial heritage,
“I look like a white girl, but I don’t feel like one. I am a black woman.”
The real Hasley, SwarmHalsey and Paris Jackson have this in common. Although they may be considered white based on their skin color, all three identify as black. Each character and person has a white mother and a black (or half-black) father, and Paris has been open about why she considers herself black. Michael often explained to her that she was black, a memory that stayed with her through the years, saying:
“[My dad] He looked me in the eyes and pointed his finger at me and said, ‘You’re black. Be proud of your roots. And I was like, ‘Okay, he’s my dad, why would he lie to me?'”
The connection between Halsey and Paris is winking, something creators like Glover and Nabers would consider a deep cut only for true pop culture fans. At the same time, provides an interesting take on a topic that some people often find inaccessible from an outsider’s perspective.
Paris Jackson’s acting career explained
Jackson has two roles in future films
Paris Jackson began her acting career on the 2017 TV show, Staras recurring character Rachel Wells, although she had appeared as herself on talk shows before that. This role led to her film debut in 2018, in the action comedy Gringo like Nelly. Since then, Jackson has worked steadily in both television and film, landing increasingly significant roles as the years went by.
Paris Jackson’s notable film and TV roles |
|
---|---|
Title |
Character |
Star (2017) |
Rachel Wells |
Gringo (2018) |
Nelly |
The space between (2021) |
Cory |
Swarm (2023) |
Hailey/Halsey |
Open Wounds (2025) |
Gina |
A spoon of chocolate (Unknown) |
Unknown |
His biggest role is yet to come, it seems, with his starring role in the upcoming RZA-directed drama, A spoon of chocolate. She will star as an unnamed character in the film about a convicted ex-military man who moves to a small town to start over and find love. Publish-SwarmParis Jackson will also star as Ginny in the 2025 horror film, Open Wounds.
Swarm is a horror series created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. Dominique Fishback plays Dre, a woman obsessed with a pop star with a fan base collectively called the swarm. As Dre’s obsession with his dream icon intensifies, the show will explore just how deep — and dark — fandom can be.
- Cast
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Dominique Fishback, Chloe Bailey, Damson Idris, Rickey Thompson, Paris Jackson, Rory Culkin, Kiersey Clemons, Byron Bowers
- Release date
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March 17, 2023