- Michael B. Jordan has become a household name thanks to his roles on the big screen.
- The “Black Panther” star didn’t grow up with dreams of being an actor.
- His first TV role was on “The Sopranos,” despite many thinking it was on “The Wire.”
Born in Santa Ana, California, Michael B. Jordan’s career took off after his breakthrough role as Wallace on “The Wire.” The actor went on to star on everything from TV shows like “Friday Night Lights” to award-worthy movies like “Fruitvale Station” and “Black Panther.”
Here are 10 facts you might not know about Michael B. Jordan.
His first role was on “The Sopranos,” not “The Wire.”
Most people think Michael B. Jordan’s acting debut was on “The Wire.” Although his performance as young, street-smart Wallace was his breakthrough, his first TV credit was on a one-off episode in season one of “The Sopranos” when he was 12 years old.
He didn’t let his mom watch the shooting of that final scene in “The Wire.”
During an interview with Vulture, Jordan opened up about shooting the tragic final scene of his in “The Wire” in which his character is shot and dies.
"I remember telling my mom not to show up on set that day," he said. "My mom gets extremely emotional, and this was kind of too much. I didn't want her to see it.
The "B" in his name stands for Bakari.
The "B" in Michael B. Jordan's name stands for Bakari. The name is Swahili and means "promising." As for his first name, he was named after his father Michael A. Jordan.
He didn't initially dream of becoming an actor.
According to Inside Jersey, it was Jordan's mother who decided to take him to his first audition. Jordan was quickly recognized as a natural talent booked commercials, print ads, and was on TV in no time.
"I kinda got into it, and it just sort of elevated, you know what I'm saying?" he said in an Inside Jersey interview. "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."
His production company is trying to make Hollywood more inclusive.
Michael B. Jordan's production company, Outlier Society, is trying to make a change.
In 2018, he vowed that he will incorporate the "inclusion rider," a clause that allows actors to contractually demand 50% cast and crew diversity on set, on all his projects. He is sticking to that promise on his latest project, a TV series deal with Amazon.
Read more: Frances McDormand brings 'inclusion rider' into spotlight
About his role in wanting to create an inclusive Hollywood, the actor told Vanity Fair, "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."
He has been in all of Ryan Coogler's films.
All three of Ryan Coogler's movies have starred Michael B. Jordan.
Jordan played Oscar Grant in the heartbreaking biopic "Fruitvale Station," the titular character in the "Rocky" sequel "Creed," and of course the charismatic villain of "Black Panther," Erik Killmonger.
About working with Jordan, Coogler told MTV News, "Mike is an incredibly talented experienced actor," adding that he "brings an insane work ethic and a consistency that's really great to have on a set."
He is a fan of anime.
Michael B. Jordan tweets about anime all the time.
His favorites are "Naruto" and "Bleach." You have probably seen the iconic image from a 2014 press tour for "That Awkward Moment" of Michael B. Jordan holding a whiteboard with his guilty pleasure written on it - women - but scratched out below is the word anime.
He was a voice actor for a major video game.
Not only does Jordan love anime, but he's also a fan of comic books and worked on the video game "Gears of War 3." Jordan voiced Jace Stratton in the 2011 entry of the critically acclaimed shooter franchise.
He bought his parents a house.
In an interview on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in February of 2018, Jordan revealed that his parents were living with him. It turns out that in 2016, he bought his parents a mansion in Sherman Oaks, California where they all reside.
But in November 2018, Jordan told GQ magazine that he's planning on moving into a bachelor pad that will probably have a pool.
Michael B. Jordan has tried his hand at tap dancing.
In a 2013 interview with HuffPost, Jordan revealed his mom used to make him take tap dancing. He told the outlet "Do not quote me. She made me take tap dancing!"