It's impossible to imagine anyone other than David Bowie in the role of Jareth from the classic '80s movie Labyrinth, but that role was almost given to Michael Jackson; here's why Bowie was ultimately cast. Jareth, also known as the Goblin King, is the main antagonist of Labyrinth. After a young girl named Sarah sarcastically wishes that the King would take away her baby brother, he actually grants this wish and hides him at the center of a strange labyrinth. Sarah has to navigate this labyrinth to find and save her brother, but is constantly thwarted along the way by odd and dangerous creatures put in place by Jareth. David Bowie's acting as this cult classic antagonist possesses extraordinary presence, but it could have been very different had Michael Jackson been cast.
Labyrinth underwent many script changes and endured numerous plot ideas by different writers before settling on what audiences now know it to be. Jim Henson originally planned to make the character of Jareth as a puppet much like his goblin subordinates, but finally decided to make Jareth a human character. Taking it one step further, he landed on the idea of casting a contemporary rockstar so the character could sing, and ultimately changed the style of the movie. Prominent names that were supposedly considered in casting Jareth the Goblin King were Prince, Sting, and another British rocker close to Bowie, Mick Jagger. The main contenders for the role, though, were David Bowie and Michael Jackson.
Henson decidedly had his heart set on Bowie for the role due to him being known as a more adult performer, which would best fit the character of Labyrinth's Jareth. To Sarah, Jareth is representative of the ambiguous adult world, as he embodies maturity, sexuality, and danger. Bowie brought all these qualities to the role and immortalized the Goblin King as one of the greatest fantasy villains in cinema. Even though Michael Jackson had already proved his talent in film in the iconic music videos for "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" and was at the height of his success, he just didn't have the quirkiness or unpredictable nature of Bowie to play the role, and he came across as far more childlike on the screen than David Bowie.
It actually took two years for Henson to persuade Bowie to take the role. He first met with the superstar backstage on one of his tours to lay out the idea to him, and afterward continued to send him copies of revised Labyrinth scripts for his comments. Henson's persistence paid off as Bowie eventually agreed to do the project. David Bowie proved his acting chops and went on to give the iconic performance of Jareth, creating the perfect blend of disturbing beauty; just attractive enough to draw Sarah in, but always with a menacing undertone. It was that sense of lurking menace that Michael Jackson likely would not have been able to bring to the role.
In the same year that sees Labyrinth celebrate its 35th anniversary, Bowie's role as Jareth remains the standout performance in the film despite him being the antagonist. Regardless of the film's performance at the time of its release, the love for Labyrinth only continues to grow as the years go on. This, undeniably, is down to David Bowie's influential performance as the Goblin King, as well as the talented Jim Henson and the rest of the cast and crew who made the glorious film come to life.