He’s put in the hard yards, and now Michael B. Jordan’s career has officially reached new heights.
Model, actor, producer, director, voice artist and activist – you name it, and Michael B. Jordan’s done it. With recent big-screen hits to his name including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Creed III (also his directorial debut) and Space Jam: A New Legacy, there’s little wonder why he’s the industry’s new leading man.
While his roles are always entertaining, they’re also a way for him to touch on subjects that matter most to him.
Star quality
Growing up in New Jersey, acting was never on the table for Michael. But as fate would have it, he was whisked up by a talent scout while out with his mom and soon became a child model. Things happened quickly for Michael after that.
He appeared in episodes of hit TV shows The Sopranos and Cosby in the same year. He then grabbed the industry’s attention when he starred in gritty crime series The Wire (2002), before signing on with the popular soap All My Children (interestingly, replacing Chadwick Boseman – his future co-star in Black Panther).
With these shows behind his name – and the large audiences that came with them – heading to the big screen was the natural next step. With roles in films such as Fruitvale Station, Fantastic Four, Black Panther and the Creed franchise, he bagged some major awards and instantly became a household name, a leading man and internet bae all at once.
It was no surprise, then, when Time magazine included him on its list of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (2020 and 2023) – and People magazine named him ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ in 2020.
Making his mark
While his roles are always entertaining and creatively charged, they’re also a way for him to touch on subjects that matter most to him. For Michael, inclusion and diversity are at the top of the list.
He’s always been outspoken on these matters but, more importantly, he’s put his words into action –his production company, Outlier Society, was among the first in Hollywood to have an ‘inclusion rider’, meaning it would only take on a project if it met a certain quota in terms of inclusion and diversity on set.
It proved to be so effective that major stars like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck quickly followed suit.
“WHEN YOU SEE THESE GLIMPSES OF STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY [IN SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS], IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO BE BETTER.”
Michael has also been vocal when it comes to social injustice, as was the case with Black Lives Matter. He used this movement as inspiration to tell stories and shine the spotlight on social issues, brought to life in films like Just Mercy.
“I want to be a part of justice as a whole,” he said in a recent interview, referring to people joining important social movements. “When you see these glimpses of strength and solidarity, it just makes me want to be better; it makes me want to work harder. 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 – then I think I’m doing my job.”
Behind the star
- DOB 9 February 1987.
- Birthplace Santa Ana, California, USA.
- He credits his mom as getting him into showbiz. (Thanks, Mom!)
- The ‘B’ in his name stands for Bakari, which means “promising” in Swahili.
- He’s a major comics and anime fan.
- His cheat days include snacks like doughnuts and pizza.
- He becomes physically sick if he doesn’t wind down, so he is a huge believer in meditation and going for long drives.
- You can find some of his favourite songs on Spotify on the Without Remorse playlist.
- He’s modelled in campaigns for Coach and Calvin Klein.
- He is a co-owner of English Premier League football club Bournemouth.
“I THINK WE INVESTED IN SOME REALLY INTERESTING CHARACTERS [IN CREED] THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE RESPONDING TO.”
Where to from here?
There’s no slowing down a talent like Michael. He’s reportedly already working on a TV show. “Building the Creed universe is something I’m really excited about,” he says. Michael isn’t quite sure where Adonis’s journey will take him, “but you will see the Creed-verse continue to grow and expand.
I think we invested in some really interesting characters that I think a lot of people were responding to. I have to give a political answer to that [laughs]. There’s going to be more of the Creed family, and there’s going to be more of Michael with his Creed III co-stars, Jonathan Majors and Tessa Thompson, at a fan screening in Atlanta some of the characters that you love from this movie.
I just don’t know what package it’s going to be in yet.” Being a major Japanese anime fan, Michael is also involved in an animated series based on Rocky. “I don’t want to tie it to anything specifically from anime,” he explains, “but there are universal themes in anime that I pull from.
There’s a visual language, obviously, and certain things I tried to achieve. The feeling and the notes of anime are all throughout the fights especially.” Perhaps most exciting of all his upcoming projects is his involvement in a new Superman film.
His production company is reportedly producing a Val-Zod film from the DC Comics Universe, which follows the titular character taking the mantle as the new Superman. One thing’s for sure, there’s a lot in the pipeline, and as things look he’ll be spending as much time behind the camera as he does in front of it.
“I got the bug,” he’s said about flexing more of his producing and directing muscles, “and I love it.” Outside of Hollywood and the red carpets he frequents, you’ll find a humble, down-to-earth man. Just the guy next door. For him, family, friends and real life are what really matter. Now that’s a star we can get behind.
Words by: Dwain Steenkamp
Photographs: Gallo/Getty Images
