Michael B. Jordan is on a generational run right now. From the NAACP Awards to the Oscars, Jordan is the man of the moment. On March 15, at the 98th Academy Awards, Jordan took home the win for Best Actor for his phenomenal performance in Sinners as both twins, Stack and Smoke. While this is only Jordan’s first Oscar of his acting career, his talent has definitely left a lasting impact on his castmates, his supporters, and the film industry.
In an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Wunmi Mosaku, Jordan’s Co-Star who plays Annie in Sinners, revealed the shocking tricks Jordan used to immerse himself in his role as the twins. “But I just found out on all of this press tour, he wore different-sized shoes. So, when he was Stack, he wore tighter shoes cause it kept him light around his feet, when he was Smoke, he wore bigger than his natural size. So that he kind of felt more grounded. Yeah, I mean Stack has dimples and Smoke doesn’t, and that isn’t makeup. That is literally how Michael held his face,” Mosaku told Clarkson.
This clip quickly went viral on TikTok, with many reactions from fans. As reported by BuzzFeed, one user wrote: “The amount of precise facial control you need to control dimples is worthy of an Oscar.” Comments like that speak volumes about Jordan’s talent, and if it were up to me, Jordan would have won two Oscars, one for Smoke and one for Stack.
Following his Academy Award win, Jordan took his Oscar to In-N-Out to celebrate with a double cheeseburger and a side of fries. Jordan proudly posed with his award at the counter, where paparazzi, excited fans, and In-N-Out staff immediately surrounded him. According to USA Today, celebrating at In-N-Out after an award show is a growing Hollywood tradition and the perfect place for a comforting meal.
Jordan is on the rise, and he’s finally receiving his flowers, which I think are long overdue because he isn’t new to delivering outstanding performances. His talent can be seen in many fan-favorite films such as Black Panther and Creed. I actually rewatched Black Panther recently, and when I tell you that film is cinematic greatness, I mean it.
In the movie, Jordan plays Killmonger, a supervillain with a Wakandan royal background but raised in the U.S., driven to take revenge for his father, who was killed by King T’Chaka, the former Black Panther and ruler of Wakanda, who also happens to be Killmonger’s uncle. Fueled by his rage, Killmonger goes toe to toe with his cousin, King T’Challa, for the throne. After witnessing firsthand the impact of oppressive systems of power, Killmonger aims to distribute Wakandan resources to people of African descent globally to help them fight against colonialism. Jordan’s impressive portrayal of this morally complex character is still relevant to this day.
In Creed, Jordan is Adonis Johnson, the son of Apollo Creed, the undisputed boxing champion. With Rocky Balboa as his mentor, Johnson is determined to preserve his father’s legacy by becoming a top contender in the boxing world. This 2015 sports drama film did well at the box office. According to Box Office Mojo, Creed grossed nearly $30M on opening night alone and has an overall domestic gross of $109.8M. The film was directed by Ryan Coogler, and it’s becoming clear that if Jordan is starring in something, best believe that Coogler is never far behind. They are the ultimate duo and are taking on Hollywood together, one movie at a time.
Outside of collaborations and his on-screen performances, Jordan is also shaping the moment through his Oscar acceptance speech, in which he pays homage to other Black actresses and actors who came before him. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Jordan stated “I stand here because of the people who came before me—Sydney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Fox, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith—to be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my gods, thank to you everyone here and everyone at home who has supported me and my career. I was only able to do this because you all bet on it—and thank you for betting on me.”
Jordan’s speech serves as an acknowledgement of the power of strong representation on screen and how that inspires the craft and ambition of future generations. And I’m sure, in time, there will come a new generation of Black creatives who will, without a doubt, look to Jordan for the same source of inspiration. Jordan’s work will definitely go down in history as a standalone period of success and peak cinema, and this is just the beginning.