If there's anything Michael B. Jordan has learned from over two decades in Hollywood, it's how to put himself first over his work.
The actor, 38, is currently in the midst of his most critically acclaimed period, thanks to his performance(s) as Stack and Smoke in Ryan Coogler's Sinners, and is looking back on his past work with the visionary director.
© Getty ImagesWhile he first received notices for his turn in the show The Wire in 2002, it was in Coogler's Fruitvale Station (2013) that Michael first broke into mainstream conversation. That followed with 2015's Creed and 2018's groundbreaking Black Panther.
The latter specifically proved to be a pivotal turn for the actor, who played the antagonistic Erik Killmonger opposite the late Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, although it also stuck with Michael in more ways than you'd expect.
© Getty Images"It kind of stuck with me for a bit," he told CBS Sunday Morning. "And, you know, went to therapy and talked about it. Found a way to kind of just decompress, I think at that point, still learning that I needed to decompress from a character."
He explained that taking the necessary step to "shake" Erik opened his own eyes to how little society, men in particular, talk openly about their feelings, their anxieties, and their mental health, and it inspired him to look at the process with more kindness.
"Then I think that spiraled into a bigger conversation and self-discovery of, like, 'Okay, you know, I think that's something that's necessary for people, you know?'," he noted, thinking it particularly "good" for men to "go and talk," affirming: "That's something I'm not ashamed of at all, and very proud of."
He also noted that it made him a better "communicator" and a more well-rounded person "inside and out." That understanding of his anxiety certainly proved to be helpful when his frequent collaborator offered him a double role in 2025's horror Sinners.
© Getty Images"I'm a do what?" he recalled of his reaction in the moment, attributing it to "a little bit of anxiety," plus "a little bit nerves," but an "equal amount of excitement."
In Sinners, Michael plays twins Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore, who return to Clarksdale, Mississippi from Chicago after making a bit of money to open a juke joint. The trouble arises when the joint is besieged by vampires (led by Jack O'Connell's Remmick), who turn the attendees into vampires as well one by one. Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld and Jayme Lawson make up the other members of the main cast.
The film has received rave reviews since its release in April 2025, particularly for the performances of its cast, its score and the blending of horror with race and religion. It has received seven nominations at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards and a leading 17 at the Critics Choice Awards, including Best Actor nods for Michael.
"We got a lot more things to do, you know? We're just getting started," the actor simply noted of the coming phase of his life in his interview.
