Michael B. Jordan
Encyclopedia
Michael Bakari Jordan is an American
actor
. He is best known for his roles as teenage drug dealer Wallace
on the HBO drama television series The Wire
, for his role as Reggie Montgomery in All My Children
, as quarterback Vince Howard on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights
, and since 2010, as Alex in Parenthood
.
. He is the middle of 3 children, born to Donna Jordan and Michael A. Jordan, a caterer. Jordan is named after his father and has no connection with basketball legend Michael Jordan
. His family moved to Newark, New Jersey
when he was a boy and he attended Newark Arts High School
. He did not plan on being an actor. He first started off modeling for local companies. Despite the end of Friday Night Lights
he still has his apartment in Austin
where the TV series was filmed.
He currently resides with his family in New Jersey
.
comedy Cosby
.
In the same year, he appeared in the HBO series The Sopranos
and the following year he played alongside Keanu Reeves
in Hardball
.
In 2002, he gained more attention by playing the small but pivotal role of Wallace in the first season of HBO's The Wire
.
In March 2003, he joined the cast of All My Children
playing Reggie Porter (later Reggie Montgomery), a troubled teenager, until June 2006. Jordan was released from his contract from the soap after three years due to lack of airtime, and last aired on June 5, 2006.
Jordan's other credits include guest starring appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, Without a Trace
and Cold Case. Thereafter, he had a lead role in the independent film Blackout and also starred on a sitcom called The Assistants
on The-N.
In 2008, Jordan appeared in the music video "Did You Wrong
" by R&B artist Pleasure P
.
In 2009, he guest-starred on the popular TV Spy show Burn Notice
in the episode "Hot Spot", playing a high school football player who got into a fight and is now being hunted by a local gangster. In 2010, he guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent
episode "Inhumane Society" as a boxer involved in a Michael Vick
-inspired dog fighting
scandal.
He had a major role on the NBC
show Friday Night Lights
as quarterback Vince Howard. He can also be seen as Alex (Haddie's love interest) on the NBC show Parenthood
.
Jordan voiced Jace in the Xbox 360
game, Gears of War 3
.
Jordan is one of the leads in Chronicle, a film about three teenaged boys who develop superpowers.
.
Regarding actors, he looks up to Denzel Washington
and refers to Will Smith
as a "role model". He likes watching Japanese animation like Naruto
and in music, he likes listening to Frank Ocean
, The Weeknd
, and Kendrick Lamar
among others.
In 2010, he was considered one of the 55 faces of the future by Nylon Magazine
s Young Hollywood Issue.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best known for his roles as teenage drug dealer Wallace
Wallace (The Wire)
Wallace is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Michael B. Jordan. Wallace is a 16-year-old drug dealer for the Barksdale Organization, who works in the low-rise projects crew known as "The Pit" with his friends and fellow dealers Bodie Broadus and Poot Carr...
on the HBO drama television series The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, for his role as Reggie Montgomery in All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, as quarterback Vince Howard on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, and since 2010, as Alex in Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
.
Early life
Jordan was born in Santa Ana, CaliforniaSanta Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
. He is the middle of 3 children, born to Donna Jordan and Michael A. Jordan, a caterer. Jordan is named after his father and has no connection with basketball legend Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
. His family moved to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
when he was a boy and he attended Newark Arts High School
Newark Arts High School
Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in grades 9 through 12 in Newark, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. In 2010, the 6th graders of William Brown Academy is housed there as its venue is currently being built...
. He did not plan on being an actor. He first started off modeling for local companies. Despite the end of Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
he still has his apartment in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
where the TV series was filmed.
He currently resides with his family in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Career
In 1999, at only 13, he was a cast in a recurring role in the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
comedy Cosby
Cosby
Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...
.
In the same year, he appeared in the HBO series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
and the following year he played alongside Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
in Hardball
Hardball (film)
Hardball is a 2001 American dramedy film directed by Brian Robbins. It stars Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane and D. B. Sweeney. The screenplay by John Gatlins is based on the book Hardball: A Season in the Projects by Daniel Coyle. The original music score is composed by Mark Isham. The film is known in...
.
In 2002, he gained more attention by playing the small but pivotal role of Wallace in the first season of HBO's The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
.
In March 2003, he joined the cast of All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
playing Reggie Porter (later Reggie Montgomery), a troubled teenager, until June 2006. Jordan was released from his contract from the soap after three years due to lack of airtime, and last aired on June 5, 2006.
Jordan's other credits include guest starring appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, Without a Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
and Cold Case. Thereafter, he had a lead role in the independent film Blackout and also starred on a sitcom called The Assistants
The Assistants
The Assistants is a Canadian sitcom that aired from July 10, 2009 to September 11, 2009. The series is the second original comedy to air on the Nickelodeon channel, The N after the series About a Girl.-Premise:...
on The-N.
In 2008, Jordan appeared in the music video "Did You Wrong
Did You Wrong
"Did You Wrong" is a song by American R&B singer Pleasure P. It is his debut single off his first studio album The Introduction of Marcus Cooper. It is his first solo release after his departure from Pretty Ricky. The song was produced by R...
" by R&B artist Pleasure P
Pleasure P
Marcus Ramone Cooper , better known by his stage name Pleasure P is an American contemporary R&B singer-songwriter, who experienced success as a member of the group Pretty Ricky before embarking on a solo career in 2007....
.
In 2009, he guest-starred on the popular TV Spy show Burn Notice
Burn notice
A burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
in the episode "Hot Spot", playing a high school football player who got into a fight and is now being hunted by a local gangster. In 2010, he guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
episode "Inhumane Society" as a boxer involved in a Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
-inspired dog fighting
Dog fighting in the United States
Dog fighting in the United States is an illegal activity in which fights between two game dogs are staged as a form of entertainment and gambling. Such activity has existed since the early 19th century in the United States and was gradually outlawed in all states...
scandal.
He had a major role on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
show Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
as quarterback Vince Howard. He can also be seen as Alex (Haddie's love interest) on the NBC show Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
.
Jordan voiced Jace in the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game, Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011....
.
Jordan is one of the leads in Chronicle, a film about three teenaged boys who develop superpowers.
Personal life
He admires basketball player Baron DavisBaron Davis
Baron Walter Louis Davis is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Drafted as the third pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, Davis was a star at Crossroads School and UCLA....
.
Regarding actors, he looks up to Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
and refers to Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
as a "role model". He likes watching Japanese animation like Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...
and in music, he likes listening to Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean
Christopher Francis Ocean , better known by his stage name Frank Ocean, is an American singer-songwriter and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a member of OFWGKTA.-2005-2010: Career beginnings:...
, The Weeknd
The Weeknd
Abel Tesfaye , better known by his stage name The Weeknd is an Ethiopian Canadian singer. Songs recorded under The Weeknd name first leaked in late 2010, though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown.The Weeknd released a nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, on...
, and Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar , formerly known by his stage name K. Dot, is an American rapper, and songwriter. He first gained major attention after the release of his 2010 mixtape O D. In 2011, his album Section.80, released exclusively through iTunes, instantly ranked as one of the top digital hip-hop releases...
among others.
In 2010, he was considered one of the 55 faces of the future by Nylon Magazine
Nylon (magazine)
Nylon is an American magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel...
s Young Hollywood Issue.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Black and White Black and White (1999 film) Black and White is a 1999 American film directed by James Toback, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gaby Hoffmann, Allan Houston, Jared Leto, Scott Caan, Claudia Schiffer, Brooke Shields and a number of rap musicians, namely members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Onyx .The... |
Teen #2 | |
| 2001 | Hardball Hardball Hardball or hard ball may refer to:in computers* Hardball, a computer game made for the Palm OS and similar to Breakout* Hardball! , a series of computer games about baseballin film... |
Jamal | |
| 2007 | Blackout Blackout (film) Blackout is a 2008 American television film that takes place in New York City during the Northeast Blackout of 2003. Written and directed by Jerry LaMothe, it stars Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Saldana, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Michael B. Jordan. It debuted on BET on February 1, 2008. It was released to DVD... |
C.J. | |
| 2009 | Pastor Brown Pastor Brown Pastor Brown is an upcoming feature film, set for release in 2010. It was written by Rhonda Baraka and directed by Rockmond Dunbar. The film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Brown stars Salli Richardson, Nicole Ari Parker, Michael Beach, Monica, and Keith David... |
Tariq Brown | |
| 2012 | Red Tails Red Tails Red Tails is an upcoming 2012 action drama film directed by Anthony Hemingway, from a screenplay by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. The story, written by Ridley, is inspired by true events. George Lucas serves as the executive producer for the project... |
Maurice 'Bumps' Wilson | Post-production |
| 2012 | Chronicle Chronicle (film) Chronicle is a science fiction film set in the found footage format, which is scheduled for release on February 3, 2012.-Plot:-Cast:* Michael B. Jordan as Steve* Dane DeHaan as Andrew Detmer* Michael Kelly as Matt* Alex Russell... |
Steve | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Sopranos The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads... |
Rideland Kid | Episode "Disciple" |
| 1999 | Cosby Cosby Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād... |
Michael | Episode "The Vesey Method" |
| 2002 | The Wire The WIRE the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma... |
Wallace | 13 episodes |
| 2003–2006 | All My Children All My Children All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most... |
Reggie Porter Montgomery | 51 episodes |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Morris | Episode "Poppin' Tags" |
| 2006 | Without a Trace Without a Trace Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:... |
Jesse Lewis | Episode "The Calm Before" |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Michael Carter | Episode "Wunderkind" |
| 2009 | Burn Notice Burn notice A burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons... |
Corey Jensen | Episode "Hot Spot" |
| 2009 | The Assistants The Assistants The Assistants is a Canadian sitcom that aired from July 10, 2009 to September 11, 2009. The series is the second original comedy to air on the Nickelodeon channel, The N after the series About a Girl.-Premise:... |
Nate Warren | 13 episodes |
| 2009 | Bones Bones (TV series) Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent... |
Perry Wilson | Episode "The Plain in the Prodigy" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama... |
Danny Ford | Episode "Inhumane Society" |
| 2009–2011 | Friday Night Lights Friday Night Lights (TV series) Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team... |
Vince Howard | 26 episodes |
| 2010 | Lie to Me Lie to Me Lie to Me is a 2009-2011 American television series.Lie to Me may also refer to:* Lie to Me , a South Korean drama series* "Lie to Me" , an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer... |
Key | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Parenthood Parenthood (2010 TV series) Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC... |
Alex | 16 episodes |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Soap Opera Digest Award | Favorite Teen | All My Children All My Children All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most... |
|
| 2005 | NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.... |
Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | All My Children | |
| 2006 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | All My Children | |
| 2007 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | All My Children | |
| 2008 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author | "Homeroom Heroes" | |
| 2011 | EWwy Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama | Friday Night Lights |