- I took life from my own brothers and 
sisters right here on this continent!
- And all this death...
- ...just so I could kill you.
This is Michael B. Jordan, a powerhouse
of an actor who's known recently for his
intense performances in 'Creed,'
'Black Panther,' and he currently
stars in the newest adaptation
of Ray Bradbury's classic
sci-fi novel 'Fahrenheit 451.'
Michael was born in southern California
but grew up in Newark, New Jersey.
He did some modeling as a kid for 
brands like Modell's Sporting Goods
and Toys 'R Us until his manager started
sending him out for auditions
around age eleven with his first IMDb
credit in an episode of "The Sopranos."
- Hey, what you doin'? Where 
you spittin'?
- What do you mean? I ain't
doin' nothin'.
- Yes you did. You threw that
wrapper on the floor.
- Pick it up!
- Leave me alone!
Two major projects followed: 
a member of a little league
baseball team in 'Hardball' with Keanu Reeves,
and in 2002, Michael played Wallace,
a low-level drug dealer in the 
first season of "The Wire."
- Yo D, look... I appreciate what you're
tryin' to say and all,
but I grew up in the courts, aight?
I've been with them [bleep] since...
...[bleep] since forever.
According to the creator of "The Wire,"
David Simon, Wallace was an emotional
center to the first season. He wants the 
status of a respected drug dealer,
but he's ultimately overcome by
guilt for some of his actions.
Now, if you just glance at Michael's
IMDb page, you might think that you
see a gap in between 2002 and 2006.
You noob! You forgot to scroll up and 
click on the "show all 59 episodes"
tab of "All My Children," a soap
opera that Michael worked on
for three years as Reggie
Montgomery.
Here's Reggie's first appearance in 
January of 2003.
- I will handle the procedure. 
You take care of Reggie!
- You heard her! You think
I got all day?
OK, so... that's not Michael. 
That's Chadwick Boseman.
So, apparently, the character was 
originally played by Chadwick,
but after three episodes, Michael B. 
Jordan took over.
Well, that's weird. Movin' on!
After leaving the soap opera in 2006,
he ended up doing what a lot of
up-and-coming actors do: guest 
stars on crime dramas.
You got "CSI," "Without a Trace," 
"Burn Notice," "Law &amp; Order: Criminal Intent,"
the list goes on.
But he made a bigger impression on TV
with his character Vince Howard,
a high school football player with a
rough home life in "Friday Night Lights."
Before a day of shooting, Michael would
prepare for the role by working out
like a football player would, which is just
one early example of how committed he is
when he's playing a character, both
physically and mentally.
This level of dedication would be on 
full display when Michael ended up
collaborating with director Ryan Coogler
on three major films.
He was meticulous in his research when
portraying police-shooting victim Oscar Grant
in 'Fruitvale Station,'
he was willing to go above and beyond
to make a punch look authentic in 'Creed,'
and he reportedly stayed in character as
Killmonger for months before shooting,
even keeping a diary.
It's that kind of work ethic that makes
an actor successful.
Even when a film of Michael's isn't
necessarily well-received by audiences,
like 'Red Tails' or 'Fantastic Four,'
he still gives it his all,
an attitude that translates on-screen
time and time again.
www.NoSmallPartsShow.com
