The Sinners actor revealed that early in his career he almost changed his name to avoid comparison to NBA star Michael Jordan.
In a recent interview with, CBS Sunday Morning, Michael B. Jordan shared that growing up in the 90s, he was known only as "Michael Jordan" and comparisons to the basketball legend were inevitable.
"I got teased so much, to the point where I almost changed my name," Jordan said.
As Jordan looked back on his past grievances with the comparisons to the legendary athlete, he now has a different perspective.
"It was a part of the alchemy that made me who I am today. It definitely made me want to be competitive. I wanted to be great at something, if not for nothing else at that time, just to feel like I had my own identity," Jordan shared.
The actor was named after his father and chose to use his middle initial professionally. However, Jordan still feels connected to the NBA star.
"I feel like I'm walking in that and will continue to do so, big time," he said. "We got a lot more things to do. We're just getting started."
Jordan was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at the 83rd Golden Globes for his role in Sinners. In the film, Jordan portrays identical twins Smoke and Stack, a role that is predicted to earn him a potential Oscar nomination.
🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Parade