Paris Jackson 'Wanted To Be Just Like' Dad Michael

In a rare interview, Paris Jackson, 13, will appear on Thursday's Ellen show to talk about the advice her late dad, Michael Jackson, gave her before his untimely death in 2009.

"He said, 'If I die tomorrow, always remember what I told you,'" the poised teen shared with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres about how her father tried to prepare her for life in the public eye. "I took his advice, and I remembered everything he told me," Jackson said, reports People.

Jackson's superstar father inspired her in her career goals, too — though not as a musician. She has always wanted to act, and she took notice of an acting role he had. "My dad was in the movie Moonwalker," she told DeGeneres. "And I knew he could sing really well but I didn't know he could act. I saw that and I said, 'Wow, I want to be just like him.'"

While Jackson talks of how she admired and respected her father, there were a few of his decisions she wasn't too fond of, like when he had her and her brothers wear masks when they went out in public. "I'm like, 'This is stupid, why am I wearing a mask?'" she said of her feelings at the time. But in retrospect, things became clearer. "I kind of realized the older I got, like, he only tried to protect us and he'd explain that to us too."

It looks like Jackson's dream of being an actor is about to come true. She has a role in the upcoming fantasy flick, Lundon's Bridge and the Three Keys, slated for release in 2013. She and her two brothers, Prince and Blanket, currently live with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson.