MAN OF THE MOMENT
FROM MODEL TO ACTOR AND PRODUCER , MICHAEL B . JORDAN IS NOW MAKING HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
By Shay Moser
F
ruitvale Station , Creed , and Black Panther are some of Michael B . Jordan ’ s best movies . Imagine if these films hadn ’ t cast him . That could have happened had he not gotten his start as a child model for Toys “ R ” Us . However , he broke into the industry as a model , moved into the acting world , and he ’ s been thriving . Now , he ’ s a producer and making his directorial debut in Creed III , coming out in 2023 .
Although Jordan didn ’ t think he was an attractive kid at age 11 , a receptionist at the doctor ’ s office believed he was cute enough to try modeling . “ I figured it was a cool way to make some extra dollars and get out of school early ,” the 35-year-old told Backstage Magazine . Small modeling parts led to bigger ones , resulting in a notable effect .
Jordan ’ s first official acting roles in 1999 were in a single episode of Cosby and The Sopranos . His first significant film role followed in 2001 when he was featured in Hardball , starring Keanu Reeves .
Television roles between 2002 and 2011 included Wallace in the first season of the HBO crime drama series The Wire , Reggie Montgomery on the ABC soap opera All My Children , and Vince Howard in the NBC sports drama series Friday Night Lights . He also landed guest starring appearances , independent film roles , and spots in music videos .
“ I was everybody ’ s little brother , and I got to learn from Idris Elba , Dominic West , Michael K . Williams , Wendell Pearce , Wood Harris … the list goes on ,” he told The Guardian about his experience on The Wire . “ There were so many phenomenal actors there , and I picked up tools from them that I still use daily on set .”
While these early television roles were the start of his success today , Jordan almost gave up on his acting career when he first moved to Los Angeles because he had difficulty finding someone to represent him .
“ I remember when I first came to L . A ., and my mom and I went to all these agencies trying to get representation , and they passed on me ,” he said in an interview with Vanity Fair .
Jordan ’ s film performances between 2012 and 2019 include Red Tails , Chronicle , That Awkward Moment , Fantastic Four , Just Mercy , and Parenthood .
But the role that catapulted Jordan into superstardom was in 2013 when he starred as shooting victim Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station . His performance garnered critical acclaim , including being named an “ actor to watch ” by People and Variety . In addition , Time magazine named him 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 . “ I knew it wasn ’ t going to be an easy role to play ,” he told The New York Times . “ But I saw a lot of similarities to myself .” In 2015 , Jordan starred in Fantastic Four , which was a bust at the box office . However , his next big break at the box office came in 2015 when he starred as Donnie Creed , the son of boxer Apollo Creed in the seventh Rocky film , Creed . Jordan prepared for his role as a boxer in Creed by undertaking a year of rigorous physical training and a stringent low-fat diet . “ I felt muscles I never knew I had ,” Jordan told Men ’ s Journal .
TEXOMA AREA • 9