Michael B. Jordan American actor Date of Birth: 09.02.1987 Country: USA

1. Biography of Michael B. Jordan
2. Early Life and Education
3. Early Acting Career
4. Breakthrough and Recent Work
5. Career Challenges and Future Projects

Biography of Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan, an American actor, was named after the famous basketball player Michael Jordan, who gained worldwide fame and is rightfully considered a sports legend. In his younger years, Michael Bakari Jordan also played basketball, but he chose acting as his life's work. Currently, Jordan is recognized as a sought-after and well-known Hollywood actor. According to many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his character in the film 'Black Panther' (2018) - Erik Killmonger Stevens - is considered one of the best villains in the franchise's ten-year history.

Early Life and Education

Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, USA, to a restaurateur Michael A. Jordan and an artist and school instructor Donna Jordan. He has an older sister, Jamila, who works in the production industry, and a younger brother, Khalid, who is a football player for Howard University. Jordan lived in California for only two years before his family moved to Newark, New Jersey. There, he attended the local School of Arts, where his mother worked. During his school years, Jordan played basketball, but he did not pursue it beyond an amateur level. As a child, he appeared in commercials for several companies and clothing brands, including 'Toys 'R' Us' and 'Modell's Sporting Goods.' However, he ultimately chose an acting career over modeling.

Early Acting Career

Jordan's debut roles came in 1999 when he appeared in the TV shows 'The Sopranos' (1999-2007) and 'Cosby' (1996-2000), with each appearance limited to one episode. He also had a small role in the film 'Black and White.' Acting resonated with Jordan, and starting from 2001, he never lacked work. From 2001 to 2012, Jordan could be seen and heard in films, TV shows, and video games such as 'Hardball' (2001), 'The Wire' (2002, 12 episodes), 'All My Children' (2003-2006, 59 episodes), 'C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation' (2006, 1 episode), 'Without a Trace' (2006, 1 episode), 'The Sentinel' (2007), 'Cold Case' (2007, 1 episode), 'Burn Notice' (2009, 1 episode), 'Pastor Brown' (2009), 'Bones' (2009, 1 episode), 'Parenthood' (2009, 13 episodes), 'Friday Night Lights' (2009-2011, 26 episodes), 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' (2010, 1 episode), 'Lie to Me' (2010, 2 episodes), 'Parenthood' (2010-2011, 16 episodes), 'Gears of War 3' (2011, video game, voice actor), 'Red Tails' (2012), 'Chronicle' (2012), 'House M.D.' (2012, 1 episode), 'Hotel Noir' (2012), and 'Arrested Development' (2012).

Breakthrough and Recent Work

Jordan's career breakthrough came with the drama film 'Fruitvale Station' (2013), in which he played his first leading role. The film received positive reviews from audiences and film industry professionals and won the Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Michael B. Jordan also received several awards and nominations, including the Hollywood Spotlight Award and a Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Actor. After 'Fruitvale Station,' Jordan added projects such as 'Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox' (2013, voice actor), 'That Awkward Moment' (2014), 'Ghetto' (2014, 1 episode, voice actor), 'Fantastic Four' (2015), 'Creed' (2015), 'NBA 2K17' (2016, video game, voice actor), 'Wilson's Heart' (2017, video game, voice actor), 'Black Panther' and 'Fahrenheit 451' (2018) to his resume.

Career Challenges and Future Projects

Not all of Jordan's projects listed above were successful. The film 'Fantastic Four,' based on Marvel Comics, was expected to be one of the most unique and original comic book adaptations of the modern era. However, the film failed to live up to expectations, with the director, Josh Trank, disowning the final product due to studio interference. Despite the disappointment of 'Fantastic Four,' it did not harm Michael B. Jordan's career. In the same year, he shone in the film 'Creed,' the seventh installment of the famous Rocky franchise, in which Sylvester Stallone reprised his role as Rocky Balboa. Jordan appeared on screen as Adonis "Donnie" Johnson Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, Rocky's former serious opponent with whom Balboa later formed a friendship. The story of an experienced boxer becoming a trainer for his late friend's son breathed new life into the long-running franchise. Sylvester Stallone received a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in 2016, and Michael B. Jordan received five awards, including Best Actor from the National Society of Film Critics.

Among Jordan's upcoming projects, the most intriguing is the film 'Creed 2,' set to premiere on November 21, 2018. Fans will also see him in movies such as 'Just Mercy' (tentatively 2020), 'Raising Dion' (release date unknown), and 'Wrong Answer' (release date unknown), all of which are in various stages of production.