Hard-Hitting Facts About Michael B. Jordan

October 4, 2023 | Janet Mowat

Hard-Hitting Facts About Michael B. Jordan


Ever since his eye-catching turn as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in Marvel’s Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan’s name has been on everyone’s lips and in a lot of our dreams. This guy isn’t a Hollywood newbie, though: Jordan has been turning heads and stealing scenes for almost 20 years already. Here are 42 facts about this talented, thoughtful, and surprisingly nerdy heartthrob.


1. Noble Promise

The “B". in Michael B. Jordan stands for “Bakari,” which means “Noble Promise” in Swahili.

Michaelbjordan-Msn

2. Talent Runs In The Family

Jordan has two siblings. His big sister Jamila works in production, and his little brother Khalid played football at Howard University.

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

3. Getting Noticed

BuddyTV ranked Jordan #80 on its list of “TV’s Sexiest Men of 2011” while he had a recurring role on NBC’s Parenthood.

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

4. High Praise

In 2013, when Jordan starred in Ryan Coogler’s film Fruitvale Station, he was compared to “a young Denzel Washington” by film critic Todd McCarthy. That ain't half bad!

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

5. Fantastic Flop

Jordan appeared as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in 2015’s Fantastic Four. The film flopped hard, earning a mere 9% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. We still love you though, Michael!

Michael B. Jordan FactsFantastic Four (2015), Marvel Entertainment

6. The Work Paid Off

To prepare for the role of Adonis Creed in Creed (2015)—his second collaboration with director Ryan Coogler—Jordan underwent ten months of intense physical training. He had to work out two or three times a day, six days a week. I've seen the movie, and let's just say that it shows.

Michael B. Jordan FactsCreed (2015), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

7. Working Up An Appetite

Training for his role in Creed didn’t just mean lots of exercise. In order to pack on the muscles, Jordan also had to eat every two-and-a-half hours. This is not what happens to my body when I eat that often...

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

8. Baby Face

It’s a good thing that scruff looks so good on him—Jordan once confessed to Conan O’Brien that he can’t grow a full beard.

Michael B. Jordan FactsWikimedia Commons, Gage Skidmore

9. Family Ties

Most of us dream of hitting it big and finally moving out of our parents’ place. Not Jordan—he used his fortune to buy a mansion in the San Fernando Valley, where he now lives with his mom and dad.

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

10. Revenge Of The Nerd

Jordan is the geek of your dreams. He’s a huge anime and comic book fan, and his favorite superhero is Black Bolt from Inhumans. Why not Black Panther??

Michael B. Jordan FactsFlickr

11. ABCs

Michael B. Jordan’s dad is named Michael A. Jordan. I know we all want him to bring a little Michael C. into the world, but don’t hold your breath—he says he won’t go with that name if he ever has a son.

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

12. What’s In A Name?

How does it feel to share a name with the greatest basketball player of all time? Jordan admits, “It gets annoying". There’s a reason he uses that middle initial.

Basketball's Biggest Personalities FactsGetty Images

13. Basketball Star

He might not be as good as the NBA’s Michael Jordan, but Michael B. does have some basketball chops. Even though he was homeschooled as a kid, he was allowed to play basketball with Newark Arts High School’s team.

Class Clown Stories factsPexels

14. Stars Aligning

Michael B. doesn’t want to meet that other Michael Jordan just yet. Though his star is rising, he wants to wait until he can meet the NBA icon on equal footing and share mutual respect. I'm a big fan and all Michael, but that might be a little hard to manage.

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

15. Making A Name

Jordan never let the other Michael Jordan’s fame hold him back. In fact, that provided the inspiration to make a name for himself. As he once said, “I always wanted my name to mean something based upon the work that I put in. It wouldn’t be just a comparison to that guy, I would have my own legacy". Can't fault him for that.

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

16. A Small Misunderstanding

Having the same name as the other Michael Jordan can have its perks. One time, Jordan received a $40,000 royalty check that was meant for the NBA legend.

Artificial Intelligence FactsPexels

17. Play It Again

Jordan appeared in a series of Apple ads in 2016 with basketball star Kobe Bryant. The two reunited in a series of scenes for NBA 2K17 that echoed their Apple commercials.

Kobe Bryant FactsShutterstock

18. Speaking Up

Jordan isn’t just an incredible actor, he’s also an activist, working to bring awareness to police brutality and lupus, which his mother suffers from. Due to his efforts, he was named among TIME magazine's "30 People Under 30 People Changing the World".

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

19. Sending A Message

Jordan stays true to his values. He was hesitant at first about taking on the role of Guy Montag in the film adaptation of Farenheit 451. As Jordan told Men’s Health magazine, “I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to play an authority figure due to the relationship between my community and the police". He came around when he learned what the movie’s message would be.

Michael B. Jordan FactsFahrenheit 451 (2018), HBO

20. The Kid’s Alright

After doing some modelling work and a few minor acting roles, Jordan’s first major gigs came with single-episode TV appearances on Cosby and The Sopranos at only 12 years old! When I was 12, I couldn’t even get a part in the school play.

Michael B. Jordan FactsThe Sopranos, HBO

21. Playing Favorites

Jordan has already appeared in three films by director Ryan Coogler: Fruitvale Station, Creed, and Black Panther. The two are now collaborating for a fourth time, on the movie Wrong Answer, based on a standardized-test cheating scandal in Atlanta public schools.

Black Panther FactsGetty Images

22. Taking It On The Chin

Normally, thanks to the magic of stage combat, people aren’t really taking hard knocks when they fight on screen—unless Sylvester Stallone is calling the shots. Stallone, who took some serious punches while filming the original Rocky movies, instructed Jordan to “take it” during the filming of Creed, and so many of the takes showing Jordan getting punched in the face are real.

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

23. Filling The Trophy Case

Jordan’s first big nomination was for a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2005. He has since won a Hollywood Film Award, a National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award, and an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture".

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

24. Doing His Homework

In Fruitvale Station, Jordan starred as Oscar Grant, a real-life victim of police violence who was killed on New Years Day in 2009. Jordan threw himself into the role, spending a lot of time with Grant’s family and friends in order to prepare.

Michael B. Jordan FactsFruitvale Station (2013), Forest Whitaker

25. Colorblind

When Michael B. Jordan was cast in the film Chronicle, the filmmakers had to rewrite his part. Originally, Jordan’s character Steve Montgomery was written as Steve Kazinsky—a white kid. Later, Jordan remarked "Those are the type of colorless roles that I want, that I’m looking forward to playing".

Michael B. Jordan FactsChronicle (2012), 20th Century Fox

26. Makes You Think

Jordan has made a name for himself playing difficult, thought-provoking roles—and it’s all part of the plan, saying “I’m not chasing money, I’m not chasing fame. I’m out here in my own time doing things that matter to me, and I feel like would matter to people. That's honestly it. I want to do roles that f**king people think about".

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

27. Raising His Voice

Yes, Jordan is great to look at, but he has an excellent voice, too. You can catch his voiceover performances in the video game Gears of War III, and animated comic book adaptation Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.

Michael B. Jordan FactsFlickr

28. Where’s Wallace?

If you’ve seen the iconic HBO series The Wire, you probably remember the chilling question, “Where’s Wallace at?” That’s Jordan playing the young drug dealer Wallace in the show’s first season.

Michael B. Jordan FactsThe Wire (2002-2008), HBO

29. Nose Knows

In case you’re wondering, Jordan has said that he likes women who wear light, floral scents and have a laid-back personality. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to place a perfume order.

Perfume editorialShutterstock

30. In Demand

Jordan’s star is rising, and 2018 looks like it's going to be a busy year for him. Jordan currently has five films in the works, including Creed II and Fahrenheit 451.

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

31. Breaking Down Barriers

Jordan has a history of taking on roles that weren’t written for African-Americans. In addition to Chronicle, Jordan’s character Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four was previously depicted as white, and so was protagonist Guy Montag in Farenheit 451.

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

32. Be The Change

Not only does Jordan have his own production company, “Outlier Society,” he’s using it to bring about positive changes in the film industry. Jordan recently announced that the company will start using inclusion riders—contracts that encourage diversity and equality in all their projects.

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

33. Trendsetter 

Jordan’s inclusion rider is already making an impact in Hollywood. He’s inspired Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to start including a diversity clause in future projects that their production company, Pearl Street Films, takes on.

Matt Damon factsGetty Images

34. Cover Boy

2013 was the year magazines fell in love with Jordan. That year, he made Variety’s “Top 10 Actors to Watch” list and GQ’s “Most Stylish Men” list, and appeared in People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue.

Michael B. Jordan FactsShutterstock

35. Bouncing Back

Both Chris Evans and Jordan have played the role of Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) in film adaptations of the Fantastic Four. Though those movies failed miserably, both Evans and Jordan went on to get prominent roles in major MCU films (Evans, in case you didn’t know, plays Captain America).

Captain America FactsGetty Images

36. Who Do You Love?

Jordan is very private about his love life, but that doesn’t stop people from talking. Rumors briefly swirled around him and Kendall Jenner, but now he’s linked to the beautiful Ashlyn Castro.

Fyre Festival factsGetty Images

37. Soap Stud

Jordan has appeared in some of the most iconic TV shows of all time, such as The Wire, Friday Night Lights, CSI, Parenthood, and House. He’s also a soap star, having appeared in the cast of All My Children from 20032006. Everyone has to start somewhere!

Charli D’Amelio FactsShutterstock

38. Third Time’s A Charm

Before getting cast as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in Black Panther, Jordan was turned down for roles in two other superhero movies: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. We’re all thankful he didn’t give up on the MCU.

Black Panther FactsFlickr

39. Dream Role

Though we all know that he crushed it as Killmonger in Black Panther, Jordan originally wanted to play the lead role of T’Challa, the Black Panther. Gotta say, that casting director knew what they were doing.

Black Panther factsBlack Panther (2018), Marvel Studios

40. Moving On

Though acting roles are piling up for Jordan, he intends to start spending more time behind the camera. He’s signed on to produce The Liberators, a film about the desegregation of the armed forces, and wants to get into directing and other creative pursuits. Don’t worry—Jordan plans to keep acting, but only in projects he’s “really passionate about".

Jason Bourne Movies factsShutterstock

41. Off To An Early Start

Jordan’s parents wanted to encourage their son to develop lots of talents, so as a kid he learned acting, basketball, and even tap dancing! All that hard work took him places: By age 10, Jordan was modelling for newspaper ads. Jordan in a Singin' in the Rain reboot? Anyone?

Michael B. Jordan FactsGetty Images

 

42. Flash Those Pearly Whites

The world fell a little bit more in love with Jordan after a fan confessed on Twitter that she clenched her teeth so hard that she broke her retainer while watching a shirtless Jordan in Black Panther—and Jordan offered to pay for the replacement.

Villains EditorialBlack Panther, Marvel Studios

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19


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