Warner Bros
Michael B. Jordan is riding the wave of success, but growing up, he faced a fair share of challenges sharing the name with NBA legend Michael Jordan. Though named after his father – not the basketball rising star (at the time) - he believes it was all meant to be, nudging him to carve his own identity.
In a conversation with former Friday Night Lights co-star Jesse Plemons for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, Michael explained about the same: "I think having the name Michael Jordan as a kid affected things in a way that, in hindsight, I can talk about. But in the moment, I didn't really understand."
Twin Michael B. Jordans stand in front of their car during daylight, in Sinners. Warner Bros. Pictures
"Your name is important. It's how you introduce yourself and how the world responds to you. But when there's another guy out there who's the guy, I think it created a healthy chip [on my shoulder]," he added.
He continued, "Wanting to be competitive. Wanting your own identity in a way. I wanted to be great at something, and I didn't know what it was going to be. I just wanted to be great at it."
In the end, Michael feels this wasn't coincidental but destiny. "It was all meant to be, real talk."
Michael B. Jordan will next be seen in projects like The Thomas Crown Affair remake, I am Legend 2, Rainbow Six, Creed 4, among many others.
TV Squad