Michael B. Jordan
Michael Bakari Jordan[1] (/bɑːˈkɑːri/ bah-KAR-ee; born February 9, 1987)[2] is an American actor and producer. 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.[3][4][5][6] Jordan reprised his role of Creed in Creed II (2018) and Creed III (2023); the latter also marked his directorial debut.
For other people named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation).
Michael B. Jordan
Jordan initially broke out in television, playing Wallace in the first season of the HBO crime drama series The Wire (2002). He went on to play Reggie Montgomery on the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003–2006) and Vince Howard in 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.[7][8] Also in 2020, he was named People's Sexiest Man Alive,[9] and The New York Times ranked him 15th on its list of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century.[10] Jordan is also a co-owner of English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth.[11]
Early life
Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, [12] to Donna and Michael A. Jordan. He has an older sister and a younger brother.[13] His family lived in Santa Ana, CA for two years before moving to Newark, NJ where Jordan grew up. [12][14] He attended Newark Arts High School, where his mother worked as a teacher, and where he also played basketball.[15][16]
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.[17][18] 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.[14] 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.[19] Jordan's other credits include guest starring appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,[20] 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.