Kenny Ortega on Oprah

On Friday, October 16, Kenny Ortega, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, said that at the time of Michael’s death, they were only eight days away from going to London, arranging the tour for This Is It, handling technical issues, and rehearsing in the original outfits.

“We were three weeks away from being ready.”

“In recent years, we talked together about finding a project that was right—something meaningful with a real purpose. When he called me, he said, ‘This is it’ (This Is It). That’s where the tour title came from. He wanted this project for many reasons—especially for his children, who are now old enough and truly curious about (his performances).”

“The last time Kenny saw Michael was 14 hours before he died. Kenny and Michael first met in 1984, and they remained friends ever since.

He says working on the film This Is It helped him begin the process of healing from this grief.

“I didn’t know whether I could deal with this or not. When I heard the news of Michael’s death, I had the hardest time of my life. Being there gave more meaning to the history I shared with Michael. A higher significance—how lucky, how honored I have been to have him in my life.”

Kenny said that during rehearsals he was worried about his friend’s health—especially his weight.

“He would say, ‘I’m dancing at the right weight.’ We took care of him. We were like a family and acted like one. We would ask him, ‘Are you hungry? Have you eaten something?’ We had a fridge full of food and healthy drinks. Like a family, we did everything we could to take care of one another—and especially to take care of Michael.”

Kenny says Michael was more lively than dancers who were half his age.

“It was like he was music.”

Kenny says he never saw any signs of drug addiction in Michael.

“I sometimes saw exhaustion in him. He couldn’t sleep at night. I would say, ‘Michael, we have to make sure you sleep. You have to be healthy. You have to take care of yourself.’ And he would answer, ‘I’m working on a piece.’ And he was a father—he had so many ideas for concerts—and these things made him endure.”

Although preparing the film was an emotionally intense process for Kenny, he says he is happy that he was able to pay tribute to the real Michael in this way.

“His presence in this film is very noticeable. You forget that he isn’t among us anymore.”

Source: eMJey / Oprah / Harpo