In his acceptance speech, newly minted Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan thanked those who came before him. In the press room, where the Sinners actor received a standing ovation as he entered, he acknowledged that their passion for the craft has been a motivation in his pursuit of theatrical greatness.
“Like I said before, I’m here because of the people that came before me: Sidney [Poitier] and Denzel [Washington], Halle Berry and Forest [Whitaker] — all those actors who grace the stage and are not looking for awards, not looking for acknowledgement. They’re artists, they want to do the work.”
Along with wise words from his father, who traveled from Ghana to see Jordan clinch this year’s Actor in a Leading Role win, Jordan has emulated those principles in his own professional journey.
“I’ve always focused on trying to do the work. My father always told me, ‘Don’t expect anything to be handed to you.’ Do the work, and everything else is going to figure itself out.”
Jordan, who crafted his award-winning portrayals of Smoke and Stack through extensive journaling, from their earliest moments to the first page of the Sinners script, stated that preparedness plays its part in “what our industry standard is. This is what we put value on in a big way. That competitiveness,” he admitted.
But he also stressed that performance is very personal. “There’s a what’s for you is for you. And you can’t take anybody’s blessings away from anybody else,” he stated. “I’m just walking my path and just trying to be locked in.
And, like the true gentleman he’s always been, he offered words of encouragement for those who want to follow in his footsteps.
“I would encourage other actors and other artists, no matter what their medium is, to try to keep that in mind and be honest and truthful, and just do,” he stated.
“Dream big. Dream big, and be kind, be honest. I’m really big on pouring into the universe, and the universe is going to pour back into you.”