Michael B. Jordan

1.1. Birth and Upbringing

Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California. His first name is Michael, and his middle name, Bakari_bah-KAR-ee^Swahili, is Swahili for 'noble promise'. His parents are Donna and Michael A. Jordan. He has an older sister, Jamila, and a younger brother, Khalid, who went on to play football at Howard University in 2010. The family resided in Santa Ana for the first two years of Jordan's life before relocating to Newark, New Jersey, where he grew up.

1.2. Education

Jordan attended Newark Arts High School, a public magnet school in Newark, New Jersey. His mother worked as a teacher at the school, and Jordan was also a member of the basketball team there. He was also a member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Inc., Delta Pi Chapter Kudos, operating out of Hillside High School in Hillside, New Jersey.

2.1. Early Career (1999-2012)

Jordan began his career as a child model, appearing in advertisements for companies and brands such as Modell's Sporting Goods and Toys "R" Us. He transitioned to professional acting in 1999 with brief appearances in single episodes of the television series Cosby and The Sopranos. His first significant film role came in 2001 in Hardball, starring Keanu Reeves.

In 2002, Jordan gained broader recognition for his small yet pivotal role as Wallace in the first season of the HBO crime drama The Wire. In March 2003, he joined the cast of the ABC soap opera All My Children, taking over the role of Reggie Montgomery, a troubled teenager, from Chadwick Boseman. He remained on the show until June 2006.

His television credits during this period also include guest-starring roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2006), Without a Trace (2006), and Cold Case (2007). He also had a lead role in the independent film Blackout (2007) and starred in The Assistants (2009) on The-N. In 2008, Jordan appeared in the music video for "Did You Wrong" by R&B artist Pleasure P.

From 2009 to 2011, Jordan starred as quarterback Vince Howard in the NBC drama Friday Night Lights, living in Austin, Texas, where the show was filmed. In 2009, he guest-starred on Burn Notice in the episode "Hot Spot," playing a high school football player pursued by a local gangster. In 2010, Nylon Magazine's Young Hollywood Issue recognized him as one of the "55 faces of the future." He also guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Inhumane Society" (2010), portraying a boxer involved in a dog fighting scandal inspired by Michael Vick. That same year, he secured a recurring role as Alex, Haddie Braverman's love interest, on the NBC show Parenthood (2010-2011), marking his second collaboration with showrunner Jason Katims. BuddyTV ranked him #80 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011."

In 2012, Jordan appeared in the George Lucas-produced film Red Tails and played the lead character Steve Montgomery in Chronicle, a film about three teenagers who develop superhuman abilities. He also guest-starred in an episode of the final season of House, portraying a blind patient.

2.2. Notable Television Roles

Michael B. Jordan gained significant recognition for his impactful roles in various television series throughout his early career.

• The Wire (2002): Jordan's portrayal of the young drug dealer Wallace in the first season of the acclaimed HBO crime drama was a pivotal early role that brought him critical attention.
• All My Children (2003-2006): He played Reggie Porter Montgomery, a troubled teenager, on the ABC soap opera, a role he took over from Chadwick Boseman.
• Friday Night Lights (2009-2011): Jordan starred as Vince Howard, a talented high school quarterback, for two seasons of the NBC sports drama, earning praise for his performance.
• Parenthood (2010-2011): He had a recurring role as Alex, the love interest of Haddie Braverman, in this NBC family drama.

2.3. Breakthrough Film Roles (2013-Present)

Jordan's career trajectory shifted significantly with a series of critically acclaimed film roles that established him as a prominent actor in Hollywood.

2.3.2. The Creed Franchise and Directorial Debut

In 2015, Jordan achieved further critical acclaim for his role as Adonis Creed, the son of boxer Apollo Creed, in Creed, the seventh film in the Rocky franchise. This marked his second collaboration with director Ryan Coogler, and he co-starred with Sylvester Stallone. To prepare for the role, Jordan underwent a year of rigorous physical training and maintained a stringent low-fat diet. He performed his own fight scenes without a body double and was "routinely bloodied, bruised, and dizzy" during filming.

Jordan reprised his role as Adonis Creed in Creed II (2018), which debuted to 35.30 M USD in its opening weekend, reaching a five-day total of 55.80 M USD, marking the biggest Thanksgiving debut ever for a live-action film. He returned to the role again in Creed III (2023), which also marked his successful directorial debut. Jordan has cited Ryan Coogler, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón, George Lucas, and Christopher Nolan as influences for his filmmaking.

2.3.3. Black Panther and Erik Killmonger

In February 2018, Jordan starred as the formidable villain Erik Killmonger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Panther, his third collaboration with director Ryan Coogler. His performance as Killmonger received widespread critical acclaim. Dani Di Placido of Forbes noted that Jordan "steals the show," while Jason Guerrasio of Business Insider praised his ability to portray Killmonger as a character "fueled with hate and emptiness" while also delivering it "with a swagger that's just a joy to watch." Guerrasio added that "the movie takes off more in story and viewing enjoyment whenever Jordan is on screen." Jordan reprised his voice role as Erik Killmonger in two episodes of the first season of the animated series What If...? (2021) and made a cameo appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

2.4. Production Work

Michael B. Jordan has significantly expanded his involvement in the entertainment industry through his production company, Outlier Society Productions.

• Outlier Society Productions**: Founded by Jordan, this company has been instrumental in developing and overseeing many of his projects. He has served as a co-producer or executive producer on several films and television series, including:
  • Fahrenheit 451 (2018)
  • Gen:Lock (2019-2021)
  • Just Mercy (2019)
  • Without Remorse (2021)
  • Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) (executive producer for his cameo)
  • A Journal for Jordan (2021)
  • Raising Dion (2019-2021)
  • Creed III (2023)
• Partnerships and Future Development**: Outlier Society signed a first-look deal with Amazon. The company is also developing Val-Zod, an HBO Max series featuring a Black version of the DC Comics character Superman. As of March 2022, Jordan is set to produce and star in the sequel to I Am Legend alongside Will Smith.

2.5. Voice Acting and Video Games

Jordan has lent his voice and likeness to several animated projects and video games.

• Video Games:
  • Gears of War 3 (2011) as Jace Stratton
  • NBA 2K17 (2016) as Justice Young / Himself (host in MyCareer mode)
  • Wilson's Heart (2017) as Kurt Mosby
  • Creed: Rise to Glory (2018) as Adonis Creed
• Animated Series and Films:
  • Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) as Victor Stone / Cyborg (voice, direct-to-video film)
  • The Boondocks (2014) as Pretty Boy Flizzy (voice)
  • Gen:Lock (2019-2021) as Julian Chase / Nemesis / King Demon (voice)
  • Love, Death & Robots (2021) as Terence (voice and motion capture in the episode "Life Hutch")
  • What If...? (2021) as Erik Killmonger (voice in 2 episodes)

2.6. Music Video Appearances

Michael B. Jordan has appeared in several music videos for prominent artists.

• "Did You Wrong" (2008) by Pleasure P
• "Family Feud" (2017) by Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé
• "Whoa" (2019) by Snoh Aalegra

3.1. Major Acting Awards

3.2. Other Honors and Accolades

Beyond specific acting awards, Michael B. Jordan has received broader recognition for his influence and appeal.

• In 2020 and 2023, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
• In 2020, he was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.
• Also in 2020, The New York Times ranked him 15th on its list of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century.

4.1. Private Life and Interests

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 home he purchased in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. Jordan is a passionate fan of anime, particularly Naruto: Shippuden and the Dragon Ball franchise. Having grown up in Newark, New Jersey, he is also a lifelong fan of the New York Giants American football team.

4.2. Relationships

In November 2020, Michael B. Jordan began dating model Lori Harvey, the daughter of Steve Harvey. Their relationship ended in June 2022.

5.1. AFC Bournemouth

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

7.1. Film

7.2. Television

7.3. Video Games

7.4. Music Videos