# Michael B. Jordan

Michael Bakari Jordan (/bɑːˈkɑːri/ bah-KAR-ee; born February 9, 1987) is an American actor, producer and director. He is best known for his film roles as shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama Fruitvale Station (2013), boxer Adonis Creed in Creed (2015), and Erik Killmonger in Black Panther (2018), all of which were written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Jordan reprised his role of Creed in Creed II (2018) and Creed III (2023); the latter also marked his directorial debut.
Jordan initially broke out in television, playing Wallace in the first season of the HBO crime drama series The Wire (2002). He starred in the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003–2006) and the NBC sports drama series Friday Night Lights (2009–2011). His other films include Chronicle (2012), That Awkward Moment (2014), Fantastic Four (2015), and Just Mercy (2019), in which he portrayed Bryan Stevenson. He has also starred in and produced the HBO film Fahrenheit 451 (2018), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.
Jordan was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2020 and 2023. Also in 2020, he was named People's Sexiest Man Alive, and The New York Times ranked him 15th on its list of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century. Jordan is also a co-owner of English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth.

## Early life

Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, to Donna and Michael A. Jordan. He has an older sister and a younger brother. His family lived in Santa Ana for two years before moving to Newark, New Jersey where Jordan grew up. He attended Newark Arts High School, where his mother worked as a teacher, and where he also played basketball.

## Career
### 1999–2008: Beginnings

Jordan worked as a child model for several companies and brands, including Modell's Sporting Goods and Toys "R" Us, before deciding to embark on a career as an actor. He launched his career as a professional actor in 1999, when he appeared briefly in single episodes of the television series Cosby and The Sopranos. His first principal film role followed in 2001 when he was featured in Hardball, which starred Keanu Reeves. In 2002, he gained more attention by playing the small but pivotal role of Wallace in the first season of HBO's The Wire.
In March 2003, he joined the cast of All My Children, replacing Chadwick Boseman, playing Reggie Montgomery, a troubled teenager, until June 2006 when Jordan was released from his contract. Jordan's other credits include guest starring appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace and Cold Case. Thereafter, he had a lead role in the independent film Blackout and starred in The Assistants on The-N. In 2008, Jordan appeared in the music video "Did You Wrong" by R&B artist Pleasure P.

### 2009–2012: Friday Night Lights and Parenthood

In 2009, Jordan began starring in the NBC drama Friday Night Lights as quarterback Vince Howard, and lived in an apartment in Austin where the show was filmed. He played the character for two seasons until the show ended in 2011. In 2009, he guest-starred on Burn Notice in the episode "Hot Spot", playing a high school football player who got into a fight and is being hunted by a local gangster. In 2010, he was considered one of the 55 faces of the future by Nylon Magazine's Young Hollywood Issue.
In 2010, he guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Inhumane Society", as a boxer involved in a Michael Vick-inspired dog fighting scandal. That year, he landed a recurring role on the NBC show Parenthood playing Alex (Haddie Braverman's love interest). This marked his second collaboration with showrunner Jason Katims, who was in charge of Friday Night Lights. BuddyTV ranked him #80 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011". Jordan voiced Jace in the Xbox 360 game Gears of War 3. In 2012, Jordan appeared in the George Lucas-produced film Red Tails, and played lead character Steve Montgomery in Chronicle, a film about three teenaged boys who develop superhuman abilities. He also guest-starred in an episode of House's final season, playing a blind patient.

### 2013–present: Breakthrough

In 2013, Jordan starred as shooting victim Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station, directed by Ryan Coogler. His performance garnered critical acclaim, with Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter stating that Jordan reminded him of "a young Denzel Washington". Following his role in Fruitvale Station, Jordan was named an "actor to watch" by People and Variety. Time magazine named him with Coogler one of 30 people under 30 who are changing the world, and he was also named one of 2013's breakout stars by Entertainment Weekly and GQ.
In 2015, he starred as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Fantastic Four. The film was universally panned by critics, holding a 9% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was a bust at the box office. However, later in 2015, Jordan rebounded with critical acclaim when he starred as Adonis Creed, the son of boxer Apollo Creed in the seventh Rocky film, Creed, his second collaboration with Coogler, which co-starred Sylvester Stallone. Jordan prepared for his role as a boxer in Creed by undertaking one year of rigorous physical training and a stringent low-fat diet. He did not have a body double during filming and was "routinely bloodied, bruised, and dizzy" when fighting scenes were being filmed.
In 2016, Jordan featured in the popular sports game NBA 2K17, portraying Justice Young, a teammate of the player in the game's MyCareer mode. In October 2017, it was announced that Jordan was cast in a supporting role as Mark Warren in the upcoming Netflix superhero series Raising Dion. In February 2018, Jordan starred as the villain Erik Killmonger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Panther; this marked Jordan's third collaboration with Coogler. His performance in Black Panther received critical acclaim, with Dani Di Placido of Forbes stating that Jordan "steals the show", while Jason Guerrasio of Business Insider wrote that the actor "plays a Killmonger fueled with hate and emptiness – we won't give away why – but he also delivers it with a swagger that's just a joy to watch ... the movie takes off more in story and viewing enjoyment whenever Jordan is on screen."
Later in 2018, Jordan starred in Fahrenheit 451 with Michael Shannon and Sofia Boutella. The television film was distributed on HBO by HBO Films. That same year, Jordan reprised his role as boxer Adonis Creed in Creed II, a sequel to Creed (2015) and the eighth installment in the Rocky film series. Creed II was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 21, 2018. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and it went on to debut to $35.3 million in its opening weekend (a five-day total of $55.8 million), marking the biggest debut ever for a live-action release over Thanksgiving.
He also voices the character Julian Chase in Rooster Teeth's animated series Gen:Lock, which he also co-produces through his production company, Outlier Society Productions since January 2019. Jordan portrayed attorney Bryan Stevenson in a legal drama, Just Mercy, which he also co-produced. The film, based on a real-life story, was released in December 2019 to critical acclaim. Jordan stars in Without Remorse, based on the book by Tom Clancy, as John Kelly, a former Navy SEAL and director of the elite counterterrorism unit Rainbow Six. Originally planned for release on September 18, 2020, it was released on April 30, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jordan reprised his MCU role as Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in two episodes of the first season of What If...? (2021), and in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and made a cameo appearance in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). He also starred in A Journal for Jordan (2021), directed by Denzel Washington, as a soldier who "kept a journal full of poignant life lessons for their newborn son, Jordan, while deployed overseas." Jordan made his directorial debut with Creed III, a sequel to Creed II, in addition to producing and reprising his starring role as boxer Adonis Creed. It was released on March 3, 2023.
He will next reteam with Coogler in the period horror film Sinners, playing twin brothers.

## Personal life

Jordan has resided in Los Angeles since 2006. He grew up in a religious household and considers himself to be spiritual. As of 2018, he lived with his parents in a Sherman Oaks home that he purchased. Jordan is also a fan of anime, particularly Naruto: Shippuden and the Dragon Ball franchise. Jordan grew up in Newark, New Jersey and is a lifelong fan of the New York Giants.
Jordan's influences for filmmaking are Ryan Coogler, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón, George Lucas and Christopher Nolan.
In November 2020, Jordan began dating model Lori Harvey, daughter of television personality Steve Harvey. In June 2022, it was announced that the couple had ended their relationship.

### Sports ownership

In December 2022, Jordan was announced as part-owner of English football club AFC Bournemouth. The club was taken over by the consortium group the Black Knights Football Club led by fellow American businessman Bill Foley. Jordan led the minority ownership group with Kosmos founder Nullah Sarker.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Black and White | Teen #2 | |
| 2001 | Hardball | Jamal | |
| 2007 | Blackout | C.J. | |
| 2009 | Pastor Brown | Tariq Brown | |
| 2012 | Red Tails | Maurice Wilson | |
| 2012 | Chronicle | Steve Montgomery | |
| 2012 | County | Travis | TV Movie |
| 2012 | Hotel Noir | Leon | |
| 2013 | Fruitvale Station | Oscar Grant | |
| 2013 | Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox | Victor Stone / Cyborg | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2014 | That Awkward Moment | Mikey | |
| 2015 | Fantastic Four | Johnny Storm / Human Torch | |
| 2015 | Creed | Adonis Johnson | |
| 2016 | Against The Wall | Man | Short |
| 2018 | Black Panther | Erik Killmonger | |
| 2018 | Kin | Male Cleaner | Cameo; also executive producer |
| 2018 | Creed II | Adonis Creed | Also executive producer |
| 2018 | Fahrenheit 451 | Guy Montag | Television film, also executive producer |
| 2019 | Just Mercy | Bryan Stevenson | Also producer |
| 2021 | Without Remorse | John Kelly | Also producer |
| 2021 | Space Jam: A New Legacy | Himself | Cameo |
| 2021 | A Journal for Jordan | Charles King | Also producer |
| 2022 | Legends of the Lane | Himself | Short |
| 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Erik Killmonger | Cameo |
| 2023 | Creed III | Adonis Creed | Also director and producer |
| 2025 | Sinners | Elijah "Smoke" & Elias "Stack" | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | The Sopranos | Rideland Kid | Episode: "Down Neck" |
| 1999 | Cosby | Michael | Episode: "The Vesey Method" |
| 2002 | The Wire | Wallace | 12 episodes |
| 2003–2006 | All My Children | Reggie Porter Montgomery | 59 episodes |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Morris | Episode: "Poppin' Tags" |
| 2006 | Without a Trace | Jesse Lewis | Episode: "The Calm Before" |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Michael Carter | Episode: "Wunderkind" |
| 2009 | Burn Notice | Corey Jensen | Episode: "Hot Spot" |
| 2009 | Bones | Perry Wilson | Episode: "The Plain in the Prodigy" |
| 2009 | The Assistants | Nate Warren | 13 episodes |
| 2009–2011 | Friday Night Lights | Vince Howard | 26 episodes |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Danny Ford | Episode: "Inhumane Society" |
| 2010 | Lie to Me | Key | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Parenthood | Alex | 16 episodes |
| 2012 | House | Will Westwood | Episode: "Love Is Blind" |
| 2014 | The Boondocks | Pretty Boy Flizzy | Voice, episode: "Pretty Boy Flizzy" |
| 2019–2021 | Gen:Lock | Julian Chase / Nemesis / King Demon | Voice, 16 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2019–2021 | Raising Dion | Mark Warren | 3 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2021 | Love, Death & Robots | Terence | Voice/motion capture; episode: "Life Hutch" |
| 2021 | What If...? | Erik Killmonger | Voice, 2 episodes: "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?", "What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?" |
| 2022 | America the Beautiful | Narrator | Documentary series |
| 2023 | Saturday Night Live | Himself; host | Episode: "Michael B. Jordan/Lil Baby" |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
| 2011 | Gears of War 3 | Jace Stratton | |
| 2016 | NBA 2K17 | Justice Young / Himself | Host on MyCareer mode |
| 2017 | Wilson's Heart | Kurt Mosby | |
| 2018 | Creed: Rise to Glory | Adonis Creed | |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Performer(s) | Album |
| 2008 | "Did You Wrong" | Pleasure P | The Introduction of Marcus Cooper |
| 2017 | "Family Feud" | Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé | 4:44 |
| 2019 | "Whoa" | Snoh Aalegra | Ugh, Those Feels Again |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2005 | Soap Opera Digest Award | Favorite Teen | All My Children | Nominated |
| 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 2006 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 2007 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 2008 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author | Homeroom Heroes | Nominated |
| 2011 | EWwy Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2013 | Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Breakthrough | Fruitvale Station | Nominated |
| 2013 | Hollywood Film Awards | Hollywood Spotlight Award | Fruitvale Station | Won |
| 2013 | Gotham Awards | Breakthrough Actor | Fruitvale Station | Won |
| 2013 | National Board of Review of Motion Pictures | Breakthrough Actor | Fruitvale Station | Won |
| 2013 | Phoenix Film Critics Society | Breakthrough Performance on Camera | Fruitvale Station | Nominated |
| 2013 | Satellite Awards | Breakthrough Award Performance | Fruitvale Station | Won |
| 2013 | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Virtuoso Award | Fruitvale Station | Won |
| 2013 | St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Fruitvale Station | Nominated |
| 2014 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | Fruitvale Station | Nominated |
| 2014 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actor | Fruitvale Station | Nominated |
| 2014 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Fruitvale Station | Nominated |
| 2015 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Screen Combo (shared with Kate Mara, Miles Teller, and Jamie Bell) | Fantastic Four | Nominated |
| 2015 | African-American Film Critics Association | Breakout Performance | Creed | Won |
| 2015 | Boston Online Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Creed | Won |
| 2015 | Austin Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Creed | Nominated |
| 2015 | Las Vegas Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Creed | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Creed | Nominated |
| 2015 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Creed | Won |
| 2015 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor | Creed | Won |
| 2015 | National Society of Film Critics | Best Actor | Creed | Won |
| 2015 | Empire Awards | Best Actor | Creed | Nominated |
| 2015 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Male Performance | Creed | Nominated |
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Drama | Creed | Nominated |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Fahrenheit 451 | Nominated |
| 2018 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Villain | Black Panther | Won |
| 2018 | BET Awards | Best Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Won |
| 2018 | Seattle Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | Seattle Film Critics Society | Villain of the Year | Black Panther | Won |
| 2018 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Villain | Black Panther | Won |
| 2018 | Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2019 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2019 | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Cinema Vanguard Award | Black Panther | Honored |
| 2019 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Won |
| 2019 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2019 | Austin Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2019 | Houston Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2019 | London Film Critics' Circle | Best Supporting Actor of the Year | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2019 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Black Panther | Won |
| 2019 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Black Panther | Won |
| 2019 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Black Panther | Won |
| 2019 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special | Fahrenheit 451 | Won |
| 2019 | Producers Guild of America Awards | Best Streamed or Televised Movie | Fahrenheit 451 | Won |
| 2020 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Just Mercy | Won |
| 2022 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series | Raising Dion | Nominated |
| 2023 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Performance in a Movie | Creed III | Nominated |
| 2024 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Director | Creed III | Nominated |
| 2024 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance | Creed III | Nominated |
| 2024 | People's Choice Awards | Drama Movie Star of the Year | Creed III | Nominated |
| 2024 | People's Choice Awards | Male Movie Star of the Year | Creed III | Nominated |