US actor Michael B. Jordan on Sunday won the Best Actor award at the 98th Academy Awards for his performance in the vampire-race fable Sinners.
At 39, Jordan joins a small group of Black actors who have won the prestigious award, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith.
Jordan secured the award after building momentum from his victory at the Screen Actors Guild Awards two weeks earlier. In his first Oscar win, he beat fellow nominees Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent, and Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon.
An emotional Jordan dedicated the award to those who paved the way for him in the film industry.
“I stand here because of the people who came before me,” he said during his acceptance speech.
Sinners, set in 1930s Mississippi, explores themes of racial segregation through the story of Smoke and Stack — twin World War I veterans who return home to open an underground juke joint during Prohibition. Jordan plays both roles, portraying brothers who try to help their community while confronting a sinister threat in the form of white vampires.
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The roles continue Jordan’s long-standing creative partnership with director Ryan Coogler, known for casting him as complex and often conflicted characters. Their collaboration began with Fruitvale Station (2013), and continued with Creed and Black Panther, helping establish Jordan as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors.
Coogler once praised Jordan’s screen presence in an interview with The New York Times, saying, “As soon as you put the camera on him, you just naturally care about the guy.” Jordan has credited the director’s mentorship with giving him the confidence to pursue challenging roles despite the barriers often faced by Black actors in Hollywood.
Born on February 9, 1987, in California and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Jordan began his career in modelling at age 11 before transitioning to television and film. His early acting credits include roles in The Wire, All My Children, and Friday Night Lights.
He later moved into film with Red Tails (2012), before gaining widespread acclaim for his performance in Fruitvale Station, which helped launch his successful career in Hollywood.