michael b jordan biography.com

Michael B. Jordan

Who Is Michael B. Jordan?

Michael B. Jordan began his career as a model and actor, and his first significant break was an appearance on The Sopranos in 1999. He later landed major roles in landmark TV shows like The Wire and Friday Night Lights . Jordan garnered acclaim for his role in the film festival favorite Fruitvale Station (2013) and for his role as a boxing protégé in 2015's Creed . He returned to the big screen in early 2018 in the wildly successful Marvel superhero flick Black Panther . In 2020, Jordan was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

Early Life and Career

Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California. The son of a caterer and a high school guidance counselor, Jordan moved when he was 2 with his parents to Newark, New Jersey, where he spent the remainder of his childhood.

Newark could be a tough place to grow up; in a later interview, Jordan admitted to having friends who sold drugs and stole cars. The future actor stayed above the fray, and with the encouragement of his parents, he began modeling for newspaper ads at the age of 10.

TV and Movies

'hardball,' 'the wire'.

It was the 2001 movie Hardball , however, that raised the young actor’s profile. Starring Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane, the film tells the story of an inner-city baseball team. Jordan landed a principal role and his performance put him on the radar screen of the creators of the TV series The Wire . Jordan’s time on the landmark show lasted just one season, but his riveting portrayal of the caring, soft-spoken Wallace ended his struggles to find consistent television and film work.

'All My Children'

In 2003, Jordan was tapped as a regular cast member on the soap opera All My Children . During his three-year stint on the show, Jordan netted three NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series. He also earned a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Favorite Teen.

After leaving the soap in 2006, Jordan stayed busy. He landed a role in the indie film Blackout (2007) and made appearances in a host of television shows, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent , CSI , and Cold Case, among others.

'Friday Night Lights'

Jordan's next significant break came in 2009 when he was cast to play star quarterback Vince Howard in the Emmy-winning series Friday Night Lights . Jordan’s performance wowed fans of the series and served notice to critics that he was an actor to keep an eye on.

'Fruitvale Station'

Jordan delivered again with a recurring role in the TV series Parenthood, and received mountains of critical praise for his 2013 performance in the Ryan Coogler-directed feature Fruitvale Station . The film, based on a true story, saw Jordan play the starring role of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African American man killed by police while at an Oakland, California, subway station.

His film work has also included roles in Red Tails (2012), The Chronicle (2012), That Awkward Moment (2014) and as the Human Torch in the widely panned Fantastic Four (2015).

In late 2015, Jordan teamed up again with director Coogler for the latest chapter of Sylvester Stallone 's long-running Rocky franchise, Creed . He played boxer Adonis Johnson, the unknown son of Rocky’s late rival and friend, Apollo Creed. For the film, Jordan, an accomplished high school athlete, trained vigorously. He spent more than a year preparing for the role, training with boxers and embarking on a strict diet.

Upon its release, Oscar talk immediately began to swirl around the film, cementing Jordan’s status as a Hollywood star. Still, the actor set his eyes on expanding his career even further: “I want to make that move from actor to producer, like Will Smith ,” he said.

Jordan stepped back into the ring for Creed II (2018), which pitted Adonis Johnson against the son of Dolph Lungren's Ivan Drago — the massive Russian boxer who pummeled Apollo Creed to death in 1985's Rocky IV .

'Black Panther'

Following a hiatus from the screen, Jordan returned for the Marvel superhero feature Black Panther , playing arch-villain Erik Killmonger to Chadwick Boseman 's titular superhero. The film was a resounding success, pushing $1 billion in global ticket sales within three weeks of its February 2018 release, and shattering stereotypes about the limits of marketing a mostly Black cast.

In the wake of the flick's impressive debut — and Frances McDormand 's attention-grabbing Oscar speech on the subject — Jordan announced in an Instagram post that he would include inclusion riders for all projects made by his production company, Outlier Society. An inclusion rider is a clause that allows actors to contractually demand diversity among the cast and crew on set.

'Fahrenheit 451'

In May 2018, Jordan starred in an adaptation of the Ray Bradbury classic Fahrenheit 451 , a film that drew mostly tepid reviews. The outcome didn't dim the ambitions of the actor, who announced he would make his directing debut with an adaptation of the novel The Stars Beneath Our Feet , and produce the World War II drama Liberators , about the all-African American 761st Tank Battalion.

'Just Mercy'

Jordan was next seen on the big screen in Just Mercy (2019), as acclaimed civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson. Also featuring notable performances by Jaime Foxx and Brie Larson, the film is based on the true story of a case early in Stevenson's career, when he successfully appealed the conviction of an African American man for the 1986 murder of a young white woman in Alabama.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Michael Jordan
• Birth Year: 1987
• Birth date: February 9, 1987
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Santa Ana
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Actor Michael B. Jordan is known for his critically acclaimed roles in 'Fruitvale Station,' 'Creed' and the hit superhero flick 'Black Panther.'
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Michael B. Jordan Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/michael-b-jordan
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: November 18, 2020
• Original Published Date: December 9, 2015

Famous Actors

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Cillian Murphy & Sterling K. Brown Oscars Grooming

Ryan Gosling’s Oscars Sunglasses

• Michael B. Jordan

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 139

• Contact info
• 44 wins & 89 nominations total

Child Stars, Then and Now

• Erik Killmonger

• Adonis Johnson

• Oscar Grant

• Pre-production
• Damany Lewis
• In Development
• Adonis Creed

• Adonis Creed (voice)

• Mark Warren

• Julian Chase
• King Demon (voice)
• 16 episodes

• Charles King

• Killmonger (voice)

• Bryan Stevenson
• In Production

• executive producer
• producer (p.g.a.)
• producer (produced by)

• 20 episodes
• producer (produced by, p.g.a.)

• executive producer (as Michael B Jordan)

• assistant producer
• In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

• Michael B Jordan
• 6′ (1.83 m)
• February 9 , 1987
• Santa Ana, California, USA
• No Children
• Parents Donna Jordan (Davis)
• Relatives Khalid Jordan (Sibling)
• Other works Appeared in The Wire (2002) BET Promo Shoot commercial.
• 16 Articles
• 3 Pictorials

Did you know

• Trivia Was home schooled but was allowed to play on the basketball team at New Jersey's Newark Arts High School.
• Quotes [on growing up] Newark isn't a playground. I had friends that sold drugs, stole cars. Being African-­American and driving a nicer car than cops thought I should [a BMW at age 16] gave me problems.
• Trademark Often works with Ryan Coogler .
• Salaries Without Remorse ( 2021 ) $15,000,000
• How old is Michael B. Jordan?
• When was Michael B. Jordan born?
• Where was Michael B. Jordan born?

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How Michael B Jordan fought his way to the top of Hollywood

The 31-year-old has delivered a one-two punch of killer performances this year with hits Black Panther and Creed II and he’s working hard to cement his place in the industry

T here’s something serendipitous about Michael B Jordan ending 2018 with another smash hit. After an Oscar-buzzed role in Marvel’s Black Panther, he’s now headlining Creed II, a sequel that’s over-performing at the box office – and at the same time, the industry is expanding to give more chances to other black actors than ever before.

Alongside John Boyega, Daniel Kaluuya, Stephan James and Jovan Adepo, Jordan is one of an increasing group of stars who are finally being given major roles in blockbuster projects. But is this modern “black renaissance” the cause of his rise to leading man status, or was Jordan destined for greatness regardless?

The 31-year-old has been in the business for about 20 years, since first appearing in commercials as a child. This year alone provides proof that he’s graduated to a leading man, after impressing in The Wire and in 2013’s fact-based indie Fruitvale Station.

He stumbled in 2015’s poorly received Fantastic Four reboot, but then Jordan found hitherto unseen success as the supervillain Killmonger in Black Panther earlier this year. Reuniting him with his Fruitvale Station and Creed director Ryan Coogler, Jordan delivered an intensely complex, fascinatingly relatable bad guy, praised by fans and critics alike. Abandoned by his wealthy Wakandan family, Killmonger grew up fatherless, alone and impoverished with a surging rage for his predicament.

Jordan’s performance embodied black pain in a way that felt horribly relevant in Donald Trump’s increasingly divided America. But despite praise, Jordan’s immersion in the role took its toll. He poured so much of himself into the villain that the end of production was reportedly followed by a stint in therapy . “Once I got finished wrapping the movie, it took me some time to talk through how I was feeling and why I was feeling so sad and, like, a little bit depressed,” he shared on The Bill Simmons Podcast . Sessions with a therapist helped him move on just in time to prepare for his next project.

But the critical and commercial success of $1.3bn mega-hit Black Panther didn’t bleed into his second film of the year, HBO’s adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Jordan starred as a dystopian fireman, trained to set fire to “contraband media”, but while the plot might have felt prescient, and despite a formidable co-star in the shape of Michael Shannon, the film premiered at Cannes to lukewarm reviews. Jordan was too busy to notice, however, since he was in the middle of another grueling production.

In 2015, he’d scored a win with his induction into the Rocky franchise; Coogler’s rousing reboot Creed , a franchise he returned to this year. Creed II is already a major hit, outperforming expectations with $62m in its first week and scoring strong reviews. The saga chronicles a boxing underdog with a champion name – Adonis Creed – who is fighting his way to recognition, independent of a legacy that seemed to die with his father. In the sequel, Adonis must face the son of the man who murdered him. The journey he takes resembles Jordan’s own struggle to legitimate leading man status in a traditionally restrictive industry for actors of color. It’s no wonder that the actor plays the boxer so well. There’s also that name …

“Being named Michael Jordan – I think growing up playing sports and having a name like Michael Jordan, and I was extremely competitive, I used to get teased a lot,” he said to NPR’s Audie Cornish last month. “But it made me want to strive for greatness and be able to compete at whatever I decided to do.”

Toughness on screen has also been offset by an undeniably grounded charm off it: Jordan has achieved virality on more than one occasion this year. In March, Jordan offered to pay for a replacement retainer for a fan who broke hers from excitement over seeing him shirtless in Black Panther. Two months later, he was riding high on Twitter again after it was revealed he’d met a fan who contacted him via Instagram . Just this week, he’s been at it again – cannily meeting a fan who had previously gone viral by Photoshopping the pair together.

There’s also something else that drives Jordan: the need to prove himself outside of restrictions tied to his race. In an interview for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Jordan revealed to Insecure’s Issa Rae that he seeks out roles written for white actors. Roles written for black characters, he reasoned, were filled with the writer’s preconceived notions of what his character was supposed to be.

“I’m first and foremost a black man, for sure, but what I’m trying to do, and what I’m trying to represent and build, is universal,” he said in a Vanity Fair profile in October . “We live in the times where everything is based around race, and for me, it’s like, I get it, I understand. It just makes everything so loaded.”

In March, Jordan made waves by announcing that his production company Outlier Society would adopt an inclusion rider for every future project they take on. He was the first to respond to Frances McDormand’s Oscar acceptance speech which saw her talk about the rider that would demand equality in front of and behind the camera. It was groundbreaking news by itself but later in September, Warner Bros announced it would partner with Jordan to ensure this became a company-wide policy.

“Inclusivity has always been a no-brainer for me, especially as a black man in this business,” Jordan said. “[But] it wasn’t until Frances McDormand spoke the two words that set the industry on fire – inclusion rider – that I realized we could standardize this practice.”

The first film to hold true to the policy will be Just Mercy, a film that sees Jordan star as civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson. It’s a project that will help to further extend Jordan’s appeal beyond the multiplex and into the awards conversation. Yet there’s a chance he might be heading to the main stage next year with experts predicting a best supporting actor nomination for his performance in Black Panther, a film that might well be the first superhero adventure to ever score a best picture nod.

Jordan has honed his skills and set his goals while plotting to challenge an oppressive system that has weighed people of color down. He’s working hard to claim his own seat at the table, and is taking care to prevent barriers to his progress and that of black actors coming up behind him. With a banner year, he’s not only become Hollywood’s most exciting new leading man, but he’s helping to define what we should expect of other leading men in the future.

• Michael B Jordan
• Black Panther

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The Evolution of Michael B. Jordan

With creed iii's $45.5 million opening on march 3, it's time to take another look at the black panther star's illustrious career thus far..

Michael B. Jordan . Oh, how we love thee. Let us count the ways...

No, seriously! Due to Jordan’s long and illustrious career, let’s take a look at where it all started with the Newark, New Jersey native and his ascent into becoming one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood.

2002: The Wire

Most people may have known Jordan from his first major feature role in the 2001 film Hardball , but he really landed into the hearts of millions as Wallace on the popular HBO drama, The Wire . That show would prove pivotal to a handful of other actors who went on to lead successful careers such as Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams, Wendell Pierce and more.

2003: All My Children

Not too long after Wallace’s stint was over at HBO, Jordan tried his had in the wonderful world of daytime soap operas, starring as Reggie on All My Children. In a fun stroke of coincidence, the role was previously played by a young Chadwick Boseman and the two would later reconnect in a MAJOR way 15 years later. (You already know what I’m referring to, don’t you? Don’t worry, we’ll get to it soon.)

2009-2010: Friday Night Lights & Parenthood

Fast forward to 2009-2010, Jordan was back in the primetime spot, appearing in not one but two NBC series: Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, respectively .

2012-2013: Red Tails , Fruitvale Station

In 2012, Jordan was back on the silver screen, appearing alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Nate Parker, Terence Howard, David Oyelowo and more in the Tuskegee Airmen-centric film, Red Tails . (Admittedly, this was the film that started my love for Jordan, but you didn’t hear that from me.)

Then, in 2013, in what was arguably Jordan’s breakout role, he starred in the Ryan Coogler -directed Sundance darling, Fruitvale Station . The film, which was based on the true (and tragic) story of the murder of Oscar Grant , would mark the first time Jordan and Coogler would collaborate creatively, but it wouldn’t be the last. (I know, I know, we’re getting to the good stuff now.)

2015: Fantastic Four and Creed

Okay, so I know I said we were getting to the good stuff, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the royal bust that was 2015's Fantastic Four film. Though through no fault of Jordan’s, that movie was, by all intents and purposes—and all intensive purposes—a flop.

But! One flop does not mean an entire flop era, and Jordan certainly made up for it by starring in the highly popular, Ryan Coogler-directed (see, I told you!) Rocky spinoff Creed later that same year. In the film, he played the son of the slain fighter Apollo Creed, who’s fighting to figure out life and a legacy for himself.

2018: Black Panther & Creed II

And the hits just keep on coming! Three years later, Jordan would land a role in the billion-dollar, Blackity-black, best superhero movie ever, Black Panther . Though not in the titular role, Jordan’s role as the antagonist, Killmonger, launched him into next-level stardom and fame (and rightfully so because so many people to this day are still on his side. He was WRONG. “ ALL OF YOU WERE WRONG !” About A LOT. Let it go!)

If that wasn’t enough, he slapped back on his boxing shorts and headed back into the ring as Adonis Creed for the second installation of the Creed franchise later that same year.

2019-2022: Sexiest Man Alive, Just Mercy, Journal for Jordan, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Beginning in 2019, Jordan would go on to capitalize off his new status and pivoted towards a moving social justice film, Just Mercy , which chronicles the real-life story of attorney and Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson.

The next year, his career feats and aesthetic splendor would land him the moniker of People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2020 , which, no shade to the ones who came before him and after him, but this was one of the few times People got it RIGHT. So thank you People Mag, thank you. I mean, look at this man. He looks blessed. Wouldn’t you agree?

In 2021, he and perhaps Hollywood’s most beloved actor Denzel Washington joined forces to bring to life A Journal for Jordan , a film based on the true story of First Sgt. Charles Monroe King.

[SPOILER ALERT] Then, in November 2022, Jordan surprisingly reprised his role as Killmonger for a cameo on the long-awaited, highly-anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever .

2023 & Beyond: Creed III , I Helped Destroy People

If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn about Jordan, it’s that he knows how to collaborate with the best of the best, and next year (and the years to come) is no exception. In March 2023, he made his directorial debut with Creed III , starring opposite Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad and franchise newbie Jonathan Majors (!!!). The movie made $45.5 million on it s first day, breaking Amazon records . He’s also set to team up with Ambulance and Candyman star Yahya Abul-Mateen II for the forthcoming film I Helped Destroy People.

How Michael B. Jordan Got Ripped and Became Hollywood’s New Leading Man

The Black Panther and Creed II star came from humble roots.

Now the hulking star is in a whole new league. He aced his pec-rippling villain Killmonger in Black Panther , the highest-grossing movie of 2018 at the domestic box office, and he returns in Creed II (in theaters November 21), the follow-up to his 2015 Rocky sequel in which he plays a boxer and son of Rocky’s foe-turned-friend Apollo Creed. (See the Men's Health December cover story on Creed II 's Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu .)

Everything suddenly looks possible in Jordan’s career, thanks to a lot of tireless work (including with the punching bags). Here’s how he got to the top of Hollywood’s new A-list.

He had a humble upbringing in Newark, New Jersey, where someone thought he should be a model.

Jordan, born Michael Bakari Jordan, grew up in Newark with politically conscious parents who operated a small catering business. He’s called it “hood as fuck,” though in a recent Vanity Fair profile, his mom said he was embellishing. “Yes, when we got up in the morning, there was possibly crack vials and condoms on the street,” she said. “The hood was around us and it was the hood, but our experience was different.”

While his parents worked hard to keep him on the straight and narrow, they also helped him establish his budding modeling career when he was a kid. It started in a doctor’s office when a receptionist said the 11-year-old Jordan should try modeling. He shot for Kmart and Toys “R” Us.

He quickly made a name in Hollywood but got typecast in ‘stereotypical black’ roles.

After a significant role in the Keanu Reeves movie Hardball , Jordan landed a part as a young drug hustler in HBO’s acclaimed The Wire in 2002 . It was a breakout moment, even if the show wasn’t quite a hit then. Similar roles flooded in, and he soon played a troubled teen in the soap opera All My Children .

That was when he decided to pivot. In a 2015 GQ profile, he called the All My Children part “a fucking stereotypical black role.” He approached his agent about how to navigate his way to other material.

“Instead of taking something conceptually written for a black guy, I want the stuff that was written for a guy,” Jordan told GQ .

Friday Night Lights was a dream role.

Jordan got his chance to show every dimension of what he can do on a screen with Friday Night Lights, the sports/melodrama series, with a two-season arc starting in 2009 as Vince Howard. He’s again troubled, but also immensely talented and driven, and helps win a championship.

Jordan, who was already in his twenties, showed his (still nascent) muscularity and athleticism, but most importantly, that flawless smile and an irrepressible charm. He was able to move on to similarly gratifying work in the show Parenthood and the films Red Tails and Chronicle . But he hadn’t quite found the movie vehicle that would make him Hollywood’s new golden boy.

Fruitvale Station was a sobering indie smash.

It’s impossible to talk about Jordan’s career without also talking about Ryan Coogler, the millennial writer and director behind Creed and Black Panther whose fate is tied with that of the actor. Coogler’s first feature film, 2013’s Fruitvale Station , follows the real-life story of Oscar Grant (Jordan), a 22-year-old black man who was wrongfully killed by police in Oakland, California.

Fruitvale Station , which went on to be an indie hit, immediately showed off Coogler’s nimble talents behind the camera and in telling thoughtfully topical narratives with racial themes. It also became a calling card for Jordan, who went all in preparing for the role, hanging out in Oakland and hanging around with people who knew Grant.

The film’s success also set Jordan down a path of trying to tackle material that he feels will make the black community proud. “Creating our own mythology is very important because… You help people dream,” he told Vanity Fair .

And after Fruitvale Station , Jordan didn’t have any trouble getting calls from casting agents.

He had a (failed) superhero career.

A blockbuster was next on Jordan’s to-do list. “You need your franchise because in order for him to achieve all the things that he had the ambition to do, we had to make him a star, a bona-fide star,” his agent told Vanity Fair .

That franchise vehicle could’ve been the 2015 Fantastic Four, in which he plays Johnny Storm, but the bundled production was critically reviled and landed with a thud at the box office.

Creed changed everything — including Jordan’s body.

Luckily, he already had another fire going before that movie hit theaters. He and Coogler filmed Creed , a new chapter in the Rocky Balboa series that Coogler had been trying to sell Sylvester Stallone on for over a year. Jordan cut himself off from most of his social life, training six days a week to get the chiseled body required to credibly portray a middleweight boxer.

Needless to say, it worked. While Jordan is by no means gigantic in Creed, his ripped body shows off nearly every muscle glistening with sweat. It helped, of course, that he and Stallone as his mentor figure also bring heaps of emotion to the story of Adonis Johnson aka Adonis Creed’s rise and struggle with living in the shadow of his late father.

Adonis’ love interest, played by Tessa Thompson, tells him in one cry-worthy scene, “You are Apollo Creed's son, so use the name. It's yours.”

Creed wasn’t just a bona fide blockbuster; it was an Oscar-nominated critical darling. And Jordan got that franchise.

Black Panther has made him a global leading man.

Sure, Creed came with plenty of eyeballs, cachet, and endorsement deals (including with Nike, Piaget watches, and Acura). But it had not yet made him a global draw.

Then there was Black Panther , the $200 million-budget Marvel movie with a nearly all-black cast that is explicitly about black lives, without much intrusion from white people. Centered on the fictional African country Wakanda, it also follows Jordan’s villain Killmonger, who grows up in the US before attempting to take the leadership of Wakanda from Black Panther.

Black Panther dispelled the still prevalent Hollywood myth that black-centric movies can’t sell overseas. It made $1.3 billion worldwide. Creed II , in which Adonis (again, bigger than before) faces off against Soviet boxer Ivan Drago’s son Viktor Drago, is “more international” because, “If you don’t perform domestically, and you can still make money internationally, you will always be around,” Jordan told Vanity Fair.

The man doesn’t skip the gym.

The unprecedented success of Black Panther also made Jordan, shirtless for basically the entire film and even more impossibly bulked up since Creed, a subject of memes and heartthrob attention online. His abs were practically their own character.

He got massive after Creed to be supervillain-y, relying on the same trainer he’s used since the 2015 Rocky movie, Corey Calliet . Calliet talked to Men’s Health about the moves Jordan has used to train for his roles, going from the size of Black Panther to his more shredded appearance in Creed II. It involved kettlebell swings, pushups, and of course a whole lot of boxing.

"We always go until we can't go anymore,” Calliet said.

But he’s more than a star — he’s an empire-builder.

Jordan, who’s clearly very self-aware about his place in Hollywood and how to mold his career, doesn’t want to put all his chips on acting. He started his own production company to get involved in projects from inception to completion—to really own and steer them. He also launched a marketing startup.

Jordan, who as an actor models himself after Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, has another hero in mind in his business endeavors. He’s looked at the success of Jay-Z and LeBron James, who has his own production and marketing operation worth almost $1 billion, as sources of inspiration.

“Whenever I see [James], it’s love, always trying to represent our generation, represent our culture, like, ‘Why not us?’” Jordan told Vanity Fair. “Things don’t have to be the way they’ve always been done. I just happen to do more than just act.”

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Michael B. Jordan on How Justice Is Central to His Work: ‘It Makes Me Want to Work Harder’

M ichael B. Jordan has been selected for the 2020 Time 100 list for his impact both as an actor onscreen and as a rising force for equity in Hollywood. In a toast delivered Tuesday on the TIME100 broadcast special on ABC , Jordan said he wants his work “to be part of justice as a whole.”

“When you see these glimpses of strength and solidarity, I think it just makes me want to be better; it makes me want to work harder,” he said, referring to protesters and organizers mobilizing against inequity and racial injustice. “If I can do a bit of that hard work—if I can afford them more opportunity so they can stand on my shoulders and be a little bit taller—I think I’m doing my job.”

Jordan is best known for his starring roles in Black Panther , Creed and Fruitvale Station . Over the past few years, he has also played a leading role in the push for increased representation in Hollywood. In 2018, he became the first major actor to adopt an inclusion rider —which requires filmmakers to meet diversity benchmarks in their cast and crew—for his company, Outlier Society Productions. Other stars like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Brie Larson quickly followed suit.

After the killing of George Floyd this May, Jordan took part in Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles. In July, he launched the #ChangeHollywood initiative alongside the racial justice group Color of Change to provide concrete solutions for fighting systemic racism in the film industry. Through Outlier Society Productions, he continues to champion overlooked stories, including the film Just Mercy , which was released last December.

Denzel Washington, in his tribute to Jordan in the upcoming issue of the TIME100, wrote that Jordan is “the next generation, and it’s good to know we’re in good hands.”

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How Michael B. Jordan Went From Child Actor To Director

From Hardball to Creed III.

Michael B. Jordan has come a long way over the course of the past couple of decades, going from a talented child actor to one of the biggest, and most accomplished, names in Hollywood. And with the upcoming release of Creed III in March 2023, Jordan is about to kick off the next stage of his career, one which will see him add “director” to his resume. 

Before he makes his directorial debut and takes over the helm once held by longtime collaborator Ryan Coogler, the time seems right to look back at Michael B. Jordan’s career and see how he went from child actor to director. And as part of our partnership with AMC Theatres, where Creed III tickets are now available to purchase, we’re going to do just that.  

Michael B. Jordan Started As A Child Actor In The Early 2000s

Though he had two small roles in the final days of the 20th century, Michael B. Jordan’s career didn’t start in earnest until he landed a role in the 2001 baseball drama Hardball , in which he played Jamal, a player on Conor O’Neill’s (Keanu Reeves) youth baseball team who is kicked off after it is discovered his mother altered his birth certificate. A small yet memorable role, Hardball would lead to Jordan securing a role on David Simon’s landmark HBO crime drama series The Wire .

Jordan’s character, a 15-year-old member of the Barksdale Organization’s “Pit Crew” named Wallace, would end up becoming one of the most sympathetic characters in the entire series, despite not making it out of the first season alive. Soon after, Jordan would continue to work in TV, landing prominent roles on shows like All My Children and Friday Night Lights , while also making small appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , Cold Case , and Burn Notice .

His Transition To An Adult Actor Kicked Off With His First Collaboration With Ryan Coogler

When Michael B. Jordan was 25 years old, he landed what would become his most highly decorated role at the time, Oscar Grant, in Ryan Coogler’s 2013 biographical drama Fruitvale Station . The movie, which recounted the final day in the life of the 22-year-old shot and killed by police at an Oakland BART station on New Year’s Day 2009, offered a glimpse at the adult actor Jordan would become in the following years, while also introducing the world to Coogler’s knack for emotional storytelling.

Coogler and Jordan would go on to team up several more times in the years’ following the release of Fruitvale Station , but not before the actor landed prominent roles in movies like That Awkward Moment and Fantastic Four , his first but not last foray into the world of Marvel Comics.

In 2015, The Actor Worked With Ryan Coogler Again To Start The Creed Franchise

Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler’s first time working together resulted in a critical darling and modest box office success (it made $17.4 million worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo . They collaborated again a couple of years later for 2015’s Creed , which not only served as a spinoff to the Rocky franchise , it took it in a whole new direction for a new generation of moviegoers. And it’s safe to say, it paid off handsomely for all involved.

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Playing Adonis Johnson, the son of Carl Weathers’ Apollo Creed, offered up one of his best performances to date as an up-and-coming boxer trying to chart his own path in the ring, and in life. Paired up with great on-screen talent like Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, and The Wire costar Wood Harris, Jordan shined in the role. And just his character trying to prove he’s more than the son of a former Heavyweight Champion, Jordan showed he was not only a good actor, but one of the best.

Michael B. Jordan’s Career Reached New Heights With His Role In Black Panther

Just when it looked as if his career couldn’t get any better, Michael B. Jordan reached new heights in February 2018 with the release of Black Panther . Taking on the role of Erik “Killmonger” Stevens, King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) long lost and vengeful cousin, Jordan introduced the world to a new type of comic book villain , one with principles and just motivations in addition to strength and brutality. Was Killmonger a likable guy? No, but it wasn’t hard to understand where he was coming from in his attempt to take over Wakanda and use the nation’s vast resources to help disenfranchised populations around the world.

Instead of a situation where the hero inspires the villain to change his ways, it was Killmonger, in his dying moments, who convinced King T’Challa to adopt a new worldview , one where Wakanda could help the outside world instead of hiding from it. And just like how his character brought forth change in the MCU, Jordan would do the same while becoming a Hollywood producer later that year.

On Top Of Acting, Michael B. Jordan Started Working Behind The Scenes

Following the successes of Creed and Black Panther , Michael B. Jordan would continue to land prominent roles in major releases, but he would also try out something new in 2018 by producing multiple movies with his new production company, Outlier Society Productions.

Over the course of the next few years, Jordan would star in and produce movies like Just Mercy , Without Remorse , and A Journal for Jordan , opening the door for stories that might not have been told otherwise. And going off Frances McDormand’s comments during her 2018 Oscars acceptance speech where she called for an inclusion rider , Jordan endorsed the idea, putting it into action with his various productions in hopes of creating a more diverse Hollywood open to all voices.

All Of This Has Led To Michael B. Jordan Making His Directorial Debut With Creed III

Though Ryan Coogler came up with the story and served as a producer on the upcoming Creed III , it was revealed in March 2021 that Michael B. Jordan would be making his directorial debut in addition to starring in the movie. When speaking with Deadline after the news was first revealed, Jordan said directing had “always been an aspiration” but was waiting for the right time to make the jump. His decision came after working extensively with Coogler and Denzel Washington (who directed A Journal for Jordan ). 

Only time will tell what the future holds for Michael B. Jordan, both as an actor and director, but if his career continues down the path it’s been on the past couple of decades, it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing a lot more of the Hollywood leading man on both sides of the camera for years to come. But while we wait to hear more about Jordan’s next steps, take a look at the 2023 movie schedule to get caught up to speed on everything coming to the big screen this year. In the meantime, Creed III arrives in theaters soon. Catch Michael B. Jordan’s titular character as he faces off against Jonathan Majors’ Damian “Dame” Anderson when Creed III opens on March 3rd. 

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

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10 Fascinating Facts About Michael B. Jordan

By natalie zamora | feb 28, 2023, 3:22 pm est.

Since making his acting debut in an episode of The Sopranos in 1999 and breaking out as Wallace, a guilt-ridden drug dealer in The Wire , in 2002, Michael B. Jordan has gone on to star in several Ryan Coogler-helmed films, including Black Panther , Fruitvale Station , and Creed .

Jordan has proven his versatility as an actor in dramas as well as comedies, such as That Awkward Moment , and even TV soaps, like All My Children . The 36-year-old actor has made it clear that he’s here to stay, and we’re not complaining. Here are 10 things you might not have known about the Creed III star.

1. The “B” stands for Bakari.

Michael B. Jordan was named after his father, Michael A. Jordan, and although he has no plan to continue the tradition should he have a son, his middle initial is pretty cool. The “B” stands for Bakari, which means “of noble promise” in Swahili.

2. Michael B. Jordan had no intention of becoming an actor.

Although Jordan is one of the biggest names in Hollywood today, he didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an actor. While leaving a doctor’s appointment one day, he and his mother met someone whose own kids were doing some modeling, which gave Jordan’s mom an idea. She took him to an audition, and he quickly booked a commercial. Then another. He did a bit of modeling, too, appearing in advertisements for companies such as Modell’s Sporting Goods and Toys ‘R’ Us. Those gigs led to a small role on The Sopranos , which is when Jordan started thinking bigger.

“I kinda got into it, and it just sort of elevated,” he told Inside Jersey . “It wasn’t something that I always wanted to do. But like a lot of kids, you know, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. And modeling, acting, it got me out of school early, got me a chance to go into the city, so I was all into that.”

3. He credits much of his success to luck.

Though it would be hard to reach the level of success Jordan has without talent, he believes that it has a lot to do with luck as well. When discussing a rash of upcoming projects (including Fantastic Four and Creed ) with Inside Jersey in 2015, the actor—who grew up in Newark—credited much of his success to being in the right place at the right time.

“I wish I could take credit for a lot of it, but the roles that were in front of me were in front of me,” Jordan said. “I’ve just somehow managed to string together this career that’s allowed me to push forward and grow. A lot of it’s luck—but I know it’s up to me to make the right decisions.”

4. People still want to talk to him about The Wire .

In 2002, Jordan landed a plum part in The Wire , playing a 16-year-old drug dealer named Wallace who struggles with the violence and other harsh realities that come with his occupation. Though—*spoiler alert*—Jordan didn’t make it to season two, his character made a powerful impact. “Wallace was the heart of the show,” Jordan said in All the Pieces Matter , Jonathan Abrams’s oral history of the series, which was released in 2018.

“To see that end so viciously with his two boys, his two best friends … That death scene is something people always come up to me and talk about and say how they were crying and how much it affected them,” Jordan continued. “Years later. It’s just a testament to the writing and the crazy performance. It was awesome.”

5. Michael B. Jordan asked his mom to stay away on his final day of filming The Wire .

As Jordan was still a teen while filming The Wire , his mom was often there on set with him on shooting days. In speaking with Abrams, he recalled how he asked his mom not to come to his final day of filming—as he knew that it was going to be an emotionally taxing day. He told Abrams :

“I kind of knew it was coming. Especially when you get that knock on your trailer door from David Simon. I’ll never forget it. He said ‘I love you. The audience loves you. We’ve got to kill you. We’ve got to kill you off.’ I remember telling my mom not to show up on set that day. My mom gets extremely emotional, and this was kind of too much. I didn’t want her to see it. It was a long time to shoot that shot. We definitely overshot that for sure. I remember them having to duct-tape the windows, so the lights wouldn’t go through, because we were going so late into the night, to the morning. But it was really quiet. The crew knew.”

He continued: “Everybody showed up. Even if they weren’t working, they kind of showed up on set. I know Andre Royo did, for sure. He was definitely a mentor of mine on that show. He showed up to help me get into the mindset and really talk me through it. I remember getting the squib under my shirt. They had a tube running down my leg with warm water for when he peed himself, when he got scared and sh**. Me and J.D. Williams, who played Bodie, we’re both from Newark, New Jersey, and we both spent a lot of time on that show together, and I learned a lot from him over that show. We was just talking to each other, and then [when we started shooting the scene] it was like I didn’t even know him.”

6. Michael B. Jordan was considered for two Marvel roles before he was cast in Fantastic Four .

Although 2015’s Fantastic Four was a complete flop, Jordan thankfully got another chance to act in a Marvel film, scoring the role of Eric Killmonger in Black Panther . But before all of that, the actor was considered for the role of Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), which ultimately went to his Chronicle co-star Dane DeHaan, and for Sam Wilson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), a role that went to Anthony Mackie. It was clearly fate for Jordan to be in a superhero film ... or two.

7. Michael B. Jordan nearly quit acting.

In a 2018 cover story interview with Vanity Fair , Jordan recalled how he struggled after moving to Los Angeles and came very close to quitting the acting game altogether. “I remember when I first came to L.A., and me and my mom, we went to all these agencies trying to get representation and they passed on me,” Jordan recalled. "WME passed on me, CAA passed on me, Gersh, all these guys f***ing passed on me.” Jordan came close to calling it a day on his acting career altogether, but then he bumped into Andre Royo—who played Bubbles on The Wire —at a party, who helped him look at his situation from a different perspective.

“He was stressed out,” Royo said. “He was like, ‘Yo, I’m not working enough, sh*t is crazy, I think I’m going to go back to New York.’ And he was really on some ‘boo-hoo’ sh*t. And I was like, ‘Yo dog, are you kidding me right now? You in your early 20s and you’re around motherf***ers trying to feed families who ain’t working. Snap out of it.’”

Fortunately, Jordan listened.

8. Michael B. Jordan lived with his parents until a few years ago.

While it might seem like an adult living with their parents would be due to financial problems, it was kind of the opposite for Jordan. While on The Ellen DeGeneres Show , the actor explained how it was always his dream to buy his parents a home. In 2015, he fulfilled that, purchasing a mansion in Los Angeles for the whole family to live in. However, he said he moved out in 2020.

9. He’s obsessed with comics and anime.

In a feature on Jordan from DuJour , he was described as a “closeted nerd,” as he told the publication he spends his free time collecting graphic novels and watching anime. He also uses social media to talk about both subjects, and has called anime his “guilty pleasure,” though he backtracked and jokingly changed it to “women” instead.

10. Michael B. Jordan plans to become a “one-man movie studio.”

Like many actors before him, Jordan knows that the best way to shape his future in Hollywood is to secure a place behind the camera as well as in front of it. As such, he has started producing some of his own work—he served as an executive producer on both Fahrenheit 451 and Creed II —and has plans to take his behind-the-scenes work even further.

“I want to create projects for Brad Pitt, but at the same time I want to be able to create a movie for Will Smith, or Denzel, or Lupita, or Tessa,” Jordan told Vanity Fair . “It’s gonna be eclectic. It’s gonna be animation. It’s gonna be non-scripted. It’s gonna be digital. It’s gonna be film, television. It’s gonna be video games.”

A version of this story originally ran in 2018; it has been updated for 2023.

Michael B. Jordan Profile

By Webmaster

Full Name: Michael Bakari Jordan

Birthdate: February 9, 1987

Birthplace: Santa Ana, California, USA

Occupation: Actor, Producer

Michael B. Jordan, born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, is a highly talented and versatile actor who has made a significant impact on the film industry in a relatively short period of time. Known for his charisma, dedication to his craft, and powerful performances, Jordan has gained recognition and acclaim for his work on both the big and small screens.

Jordan’s early years in Hollywood were marked by appearances in popular TV shows such as “The Wire” (2002-2008) and “Friday Night Lights” (2009). However, it was his role as Oscar Grant in the critically acclaimed film “Fruitvale Station” (2013) that catapulted him to prominence. The film, based on a true story, showcased his exceptional acting skills and garnered attention and awards at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jordan’s career continued to flourish as he took on roles in various genres, showcasing his versatility. He played the charismatic and troubled Adonis Creed in “Creed” (2015), a role for which he received widespread praise. This film marked the beginning of a successful collaboration with director Ryan Coogler.

One of Michael B. Jordan’s most significant roles came in “Black Panther” (2018), a groundbreaking Marvel Cinematic Universe film in which he portrayed Erik Killmonger. His compelling performance and complex character made the film a cultural phenomenon.

Jordan’s involvement in the “Creed” series and his portrayal of Killmonger in “Black Panther” demonstrated his ability to blend action and drama in a way that resonated with audiences worldwide. These roles solidified his position as a leading actor in the industry.

In addition to acting, Michael B. Jordan has also ventured into producing. He founded his production company, Outlier Society Productions, which is known for its commitment to diversity and inclusion in storytelling. Jordan actively seeks out projects that promote underrepresented voices in the entertainment industry.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Jordan has used his platform to address social issues and support various charitable initiatives. He’s been an advocate for diversity in Hollywood and has been involved in causes related to racial equality and social justice.

Michael B. Jordan’s career is marked by a commitment to authenticity and storytelling. He has been praised for his ability to immerse himself in his characters and bring depth and empathy to his roles. With his impressive body of work, he has become a respected and influential figure in the entertainment world, known for both his talent and his commitment to positive change in the industry.

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Michael B Jordan

Michael Bakari Jordan (born February 9, 1987) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as teenage drug dealer Wallace on the HBO drama television series The Wire, and as Reggie Montgomery on the ABC soap opera All My Children.

Jordan was born in Santa Ana, California, but currently resides with his family in New Jersey.

He joined the cast of All My Children in March 2003 playing Reggie Porter (later Reggie Montgomery), a troubled teenager, until June 2006. Jordan was released from his contract from the soap after three years due to lack of airtime, and last aired on June 5, 2006.

Jordan's other credits include guest starring appearances on Cosby, Hardball (2001), and Cold Case (2007). Jordan starred on a sitcom called The Assistants on The-N.

In 2009 he guest starred on the popular TV Spy show Burn Notice in the episode "Hot Spot", playing a high school football player who got into a fight and is now being hunted by a local gangster. In 2010 he guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Inhumane Society" as a boxer involved in a Michael Vick-inspired dogfighting scandal. He is currently starring on the NBC show Friday Night Lights as quarterback Vince Howard. He can also be seen as Alex (Haddie's love interest) on the NBC show Parenthood. It is speculated after the eighth episode of season three of Lie To Me that he will become a recurring character.

Jordan has recently been cast as Jace in the upcoming Xbox 360 game, Gears of War 3.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael B. Jordan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Michael B. Jordan Biography

Michael B. Jordan, a popular American actor, has gained recognition for his remarkable performances in movies such as ‘Fruitvale Station’, ‘Hardball’, and ‘Creed’. He has also received widespread acclaim for his roles in TV series like ‘The Wire’, ‘Friday Night Lights’, and ‘Parenthood’. Despite initially not considering a career in acting, Jordan made his debut at the age of 12 and eventually landed major roles in both film and television. With his impressive acting credentials and notable performances in various projects, Jordan has firmly established himself in the entertainment industry.

Quick Facts

• Also Known As: Michael Bakari Jordan
• Age: 36 Years, 36 Year Old Males
• Family: father – Michael A. Jordan, mother – Donna Jordan, siblings – Jamila Jordan, Khalid Jordan
• Born Country: United States
• Quotes By Michael B. Jordan
• Height: 6’0″ (183 cm), 6’0″ Males
• Notable Alumni: Newark Arts High School
• U.S. State: California
• City: Santa Ana, California
• Education: Newark Arts High School

Childhood & Early Life

Michael B. Jordan was born on 9 February 1987, in the city of Santa Ana in Orange County, California. His father, Michael A. Jordan was a caterer while his mother, Donna Davis Jordan served as a career counselor in a high school and was also an artist. He has two siblings, elder sister Jamila and younger brother Khalid.

He spent the first two years of his life in Santa Ana and thereafter his family relocated to Newark, New Jersey. He went to the same school his mother was employed- Newark Arts High School. He excelled in sports, especially basketball. Jordan, after attaining professional success, revealed in an interview that growing up in Newark proved to be enormously struggling as he recalled having buddies who were into carjacking and drug peddling. He added that he received huge support and encouragement from his parents which kept him on the righteous path.

At age of ten, he appeared in commercials for the print media and thereafter he received several offers to feature in advertisements of renowned companies, meant for electronic/digital media. He was featured in commercials for Toys “R” Us and Modell’s Sporting Goods.

The Formative Years

Landing a small part in the 1999 crime drama movie, ‘Black and White’ where he appears as a teenager for a very brief moment was Michael’s first big screen role. He debuted on the small screen in the same year appearing fleetingly in one episode each of ‘Sopranos’ and ‘Cosby’. Michael’s acting career received a shot in the arm when he successfully auditioned to portray ‘Jamal’ in the 2001 comedy-drama sports film, ‘Hardball’ sharing screen space with Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane.

In 2002, he impressed the audience with his brilliant portrayal of Wallace in the HBO series, ‘The Wire’. Though he starred in only 13 episodes of ‘The Wire’ in its debut season, his riveting performance ensured that he kept receiving work offers on a consistent basis. He starred as Reggie Porter Montgomery in 59 episodes of NBC’s ‘All My Children’ from 2003-2006. During this phase, he picked up four awards for his acting skills.

From 2006 through to 2009, he starred in the TV series CSI: ‘Crime Scene Investigation’, ‘Without a Trace’, ‘Cold Case’, ‘Burn Notice’ and ‘Bones’. He landed the protagonist’s role in the indie movie, ‘Blackout’ and played the role of Nate Warren in the sitcom ‘The Assistants’ in a total of 13 episodes.

The year 2009 turned out to be another breakout year for Jordan as he was selected to depict gridiron player Vince Howard in the Emmy Award-winning NBC series, ‘Friday Night Lights’. He portrayed the character of Vince in the show for two seasons, 2009-10, and 2010-11, running into 26 episodes in total.

His adept depiction of Vince in Friday Night Lights paved the way for a floodgate of television and film offers in the entertainment industry. In 2010, Jason Katims, producer of Friday Night Lights chose Michael for the role of Alex in ‘Parenthood’. Michael played Alex in 16 episodes that were aired on the NBC channel from 2010-11.

In 2012, George Lucas of Star Wars fame cast him in the movie ‘Red Tails’. He was also part of the lead cast in the sci-fi thriller, ‘Chronicle’ where he was one of three teenagers (Steve Montgomery) who acquire phenomenal powers.

Peaking as a Film & Television Actor

Jordan demonstrated that he was an actor par excellence when immaculately enacted the lead role of Oscar Grant in the biopic, ‘Fruitvale Station’ (2012). The movie which perfectly described the events that led to the slaying of Oscar Grant at Fruitvale metro station was director and scriptwriter Ryan Coogler’s debut venture.

Both the print and electronic media were effusive in their extolling Michael’s performance in Fruitvale Station which earned him 11 nominations and five awards. A film critic reported in ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ that Michael was reminiscent of a budding Denzel Washington. People and Variety magazines regarded him as one of the upcoming “actors to watch”.

In 2015, he starred in the superhero movie, ‘Fantastic Four’, adapted from an eponymous Marvel Comics book. The movie bombed at the box office. But, he came back with a bang with the movie ‘Creed’, in which he played the character of Adonis Creed. The movie ‘Creed’ was a big hit.

The unprecedented success of Creed entrenched Michael’s reputation as an accomplished actor in tinsel town. Even so, he did not choose to rest on his laurels but firmly set his sights on furthering his career with the long-term objective of making the transition from actor to director and producer.

Michael B. Jordan went on to star in another superhero movie ‘Black Panther’. This movie too was based on the Marvel Comics book and was directed by Ryan Coogler. The film was released in 2018 and earned critical acclaim.

In 2018, he starred in a fictional dystopian telefilm, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ based on a Ray Bradbury novel of the same name where he played the lead character, ‘Guy Montag’.

In 2019, he appeared in a biographical movie named, ‘Just Mercy’ where he played the role of Bryan Stevenson. That same year, he also joined the voice cast of the science fiction animated series ‘Gen:Lock’ as ‘Julian Chase.’ The series ran for 2 seasons and aired its final episode in 2021.

He next starred as ‘John Clark’ in the 2021 American action thriller film ‘Without Remorse’ directed by Stefano Sollima. The film received mostly mixed reviews from critics. That same year, he also portrayed ‘Charles Monroe King’ in the Denzel Washington-directed romantic drama film ‘A Journal for Jordan.’ The film opened to a mixed critical reception and earned a 39% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In 2022, he made a cameo appearance as ‘Erik “Killmonger” Stevens’ in the superhero film ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ directed by Ryan Coogler. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed over $859.1 million on a budget of $200–250 million.

In 2023, he reprised his role as ‘Adonis “Donnie” Creed’ in the American sports drama film ‘Creed III.’ The film also marked the directorial debut of Jordan. The film garnered praise from critics and performed well at the box office, grossing over $272.1 million on a $75 million budget.

Personal Life & Legacy

Michael Jordan is settled in Los Angeles. He is very religious by nature. He also has a philanthropic bent of mind and supports a string of charitable organizations, such as ‘Lupus LA’ and ‘Help USA’.

Michael B. Jordan started dating model Lori Harvey in November 2020. In June 2022, it was announced that the couple separated. He is romantically linked to Christina Bocalbos.

• He attended tap-dancing classes when he was a child.
• Had been homeschooled for several years but nevertheless was a member of the Newark Arts High School’s basketball team.
• His middle name Bakari is a Swahili word signifying ‘noble promise’.
• Meryl Streep is his favorite actress.
• He took a middle name and inserted the first alphabet of the name (‘B’) so that people did not mistake him for the legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan.

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Ryan gosling’s first reaction to singing at the oscars: “no ken do”, jayme lawson boards ryan coogler’s thriller starring michael b. jordan for warner bros.

By Matt Grobar

Matt Grobar

Senior Film Reporter

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EXCLUSIVE : Jayme Lawson ( The Batman ) is the newest addition to the cast of the untitled event film, starring Michael B. Jordan , that Ryan Coogler is directing for Warner Bros .

Details as to her role are under wraps, as is the plot of the film, which has been described as a supernatural thriller. As previously announced, Jack O’Connell and Delroy Lindo are also aboard for roles. Deadline was first to tell you about Warners’ acquisition of the project, following a heated bidding war .

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Coogler is writing and will also produce alongside Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Pic’s executive producers are 2x Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson, Rebecca Cho, and Will Greenfield. Shooting begins this month, with the film to roll out in theaters on March 7, 2025.

Previously portraying Gotham City Mayor Bella Reál in Matt Reeves’ The Batman for Warner Bros, Lawson has also been seen in films including Chinonye Chukwu’s Till , Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King and Neon’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline . A Juilliard grad who made her feature film debut in the Sundance pic Farewell Amor , Lawson garnered critical praise for her performance as civil rights activist Betty Shabazz in Nat Geo/Disney+’s Genius: MLK/X , opposite Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre, and was also seen sharing the role of Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady with the show’s producer Viola Davis. She is repped by UTA, 2 AM, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer.

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Delroy Lindo to join Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler’s untitled thriller film

Lindo’s role will have a “musical element” to it, according to reports, and Jordan is rumored to be playing twin brothers.

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Delroy Lindo is joining the cast of Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler’s upcoming supernatural film. 

The 71-year-old actor signed a deal to join Jordan on-screen in the movie, which will be directed by Coogler, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Details about the untitled horror film have not been publicly discussed, however, sources say that the movie will be set in the Jim Crow South and possibly focus on vampires or other supernatural elements, THR reported. 

Lindo’s role will have a “musical element” to it, according to reports, and Jordan is rumored to play twin brothers.Excitement has built since the film’s confirmation in January. 

There was a bidding war among the top entertainment studios for the film, with Warner Bros. ultimately landing a deal to release it, according to Deadline . The project was so closely guarded that studio buyers and executives had to travel to the offices of the WME agency in Beverly Hills to read the script, which Coogler wrote.

Coogler will be producing the project through his production company, Proximity Media, alongside his wife and co-producer, Zinzi Coogler, and co-producer Sev Ohanian. The film is Coogler’s second spec script overall following 2013’s “Fruitvale Station,” and his first from his production company.  

The movie represents a reunion for Jordan and Coogler, who have collaborated on several other films including, “Black Panther,” “Creed,” and “Fruitvale Station.” Coogler told Jordan during a podcast interview that he knew he wanted to cast him in “Fruitvale Station” before he ever met him in person. 

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“I had made up my mind already, I wanted to cast you,” Coogler said to Jordan on a Proximity Media podcast in March 2023. “I was just hoping we’d get along a little bit. And I’m fresh out of school, you know, so like, I worked with professional actors but none were really established.”

In the same interview, Jordan shared how he was nervous to shoot “Fruitvale,” which went on to be a critical success, but “had a certain sense of confidence to you. You know, I trusted what you were saying and I felt comfortable.” 

According to Jordan, Coogler told him that he “wrote [the script] for you” at their first meeting: “I believe you’re a star, I know you’re a star — let’s go show the world.” Jordan added that the meeting “kind of gave me that first initial ‘I belong here’ type of a feeling in the industry.”

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Michael Jordan’s Biography

This essay about Michael Jordan’s childhood explores the early life of the basketball legend, emphasizing the role of his family, competitive spirit, and work ethic in shaping his future success. Raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan’s parents instilled in him values of hard work and discipline, while competitions with his brother Larry nurtured his desire to win. A significant setback, being cut from his high school varsity team, only fueled Jordan’s determination, leading to his eventual rise on the junior varsity squad and later, his varsity triumphs. His high school achievements earned him a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, setting the stage for his legendary basketball career. The essay highlights how Jordan’s upbringing and early challenges contributed to his character and determination, illustrating that his greatness was not just a product of talent, but also of resilience and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

How it works

Michael Jordan, an epithet entwined with basketball eminence, experienced a childhood that formed the bedrock of his fabled athletic journey. Born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, and reared in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan’s early years were steeped in the ethos of diligence, familial bonds, and competitive spirit. These facets not only molded his persona but also ignited an unparalleled fervor and resolve on the basketball court.

The familial milieu played a pivotal role in Jordan’s upbringing. His progenitors, James and Deloris Jordan, imparted upon him and his four siblings the virtues of erudition, deference, and rigor.

James Jordan, in particular, wielded a profound influence, sharing with Michael a passion for baseball and an ethic of toil that Michael would later emulate in every facet of his life. It was within the familial precincts where Michael’s competitive zeal was nurtured, often through contests and challenges orchestrated by his elder sibling, Larry. These fraternal rivalries transcended mere juvenile pastimes; they served as the crucible wherein Jordan’s unyielding resolve to triumph was forged.

Notwithstanding the prodigious athlete’s athleticism and ardor, Jordan’s trajectory to basketball stardom encountered obstacles. A widely recounted episode from his youth was his exclusion from the varsity basketball squad at Emsley A. Laney High School during his sophomore tenure, an ordeal that profoundly wounded him but ultimately catalyzed his determination. Rather than succumbing to despondency, Jordan leveraged this setback as impetus, dedicating himself to assiduous practice and refinement. His progression from junior varsity obscurity to varsity luminary in the subsequent year was a testimony to his resilience and work ethic, attributes that would epitomize his career.

Jordan’s formative years in high school constituted a transformative phase of maturation and refinement. Under the mentorship of Coach Clifton “Pop” Herring, Jordan honed his abilities and comprehension of the sport, transitioning from an aspiring athlete to a burgeoning basketball prospect. His performances began to capture the attention of collegiate scouts, culminating in a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was there, under the guidance of the esteemed coach Dean Smith, that Jordan’s latent potential began to crystallize into the hallmarks of a basketball luminary.

Reflecting upon Michael Jordan’s formative years, one discerns the precursory auguries of his subsequent eminence. His upbringing was characterized by a nurturing familial ambience that extolled diligence, a competitive ethos that spurned defeat, and a tenacity that construed setbacks not as impediments but as avenues for advancement. These nascent experiences not only fortified Jordan for the rigors of a professional athletic career but also contributed to his ethos as an athlete and an individual. His narrative serves as a potent reminder that greatness is not solely a byproduct of innate talent but of character, fortitude, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence.

In summation, Michael Jordan’s formative years served as the substratum upon which his illustrious career was erected. The teachings imbibed from family, the tribulations encountered en route to triumph, and the personal attributes cultivated during these nascent years all played an indispensable role in sculpting the legend he would evolve into. Jordan’s ascendance from a disheartened high school athlete to a global sports luminary is a saga that underscores the significance of perseverance, industriousness, and an unswerving belief in one’s capabilities. His legacy, therefore, transcends mere athletic accomplishment; it encapsulates the enduring potency of resolve and the human spirit’s capacity to surmount adversity and attain greatness.

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Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s Rumored Vampire Film Casts Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld is the latest addition to Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s mysterious vampire film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project has been nothing short of under wraps, but every step they take seems to reveal more about the film. 

Steinfeld who starred in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is joining previously announced cast of Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell and Omar Benson Miller. ICYMI, Jordan is starring and is rumored to play a dual role as twin brothers.

With all the closely guarded information about the film except what has been trickling through the trades, all that is confirmed outside of cast is the film is set to start production this month in New Orleans, which by no mistake is the home of fictional southern vampire culture.

As previously reported Coogler wrote the film and will direct as well as produce through his company Proximity Media. Proximity Media’s Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian are also producing.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters on March 7, 2025.

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Hailee steinfeld joins michael b. jordan in ryan coogler’s untitled supernatural thriller (exclusive).

Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku and Jack O’Connell are among those already on board the mysterious Warner Bros. feature.

By Borys Kit

Senior Film Writer

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Hailee Steinfeld, who voices Gwen Stacy in the acclaimed Spider-Verse movies, will star opposite Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler ’s untitled supernatural thriller being made by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The buzzy project, the object of a high-profile bidding war in January, heads before cameras later this month in New Orleans and has been furiously casting up. Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and Jack O’Connell, among others, make up the heady call sheet.

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However, some hazy casting details have leaked. Mosaku might be playing Jordan’s romantic interest (but of which twin?); O’Connell might be a racist antagonist; and Steinfeld’s part is all sealed up in a coffin.

Coogler wrote the script and is also producing via his production company Proximity Media. Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian are also producing.

The studio has set a March 7, 2025, release date.

The project, first revealed in January, was the subject of a heated bidding war in the winter, with Warners coming out on top, thanks to a unique deal that will see some of the movie’s rights reverting to the filmmaker over the course of several decades.

Steinfeld was last seen reprising her fan-favorite Hawkeye role of archer Kate Bishop in last year’s The Marvels . She also recently starred in and executive produced Dickinson , Apple TV+’s period comedy-drama centered on author Emily Dickinson that ran for three seasons. She is expected to reprise her role of Gwen Stacy for the final of Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Verse installments, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse , currently in production.

Steinfeld is repped by CAA and Howard Fishman.

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