Michael B. Jordan is celebrating a career-first Golden Globe nomination, and he’s giving a lot of credit to a role that pushed him further than ever before.
The actor received a nod for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for playing twins Smoke and Stack in Sinnersthe breakout blockbuster that crossed $367 million at the box office.
Jordan admitted that the project surprised him from the start.
When director Ryan Coogler called with the idea, he didn’t expect to take on dual roles.
“When Ryan first called me about the role, it was a bit of a shock,” he shared. He said the thought of it made him anxious, but “sometimes those nerves are a good thing.”
He was excited for the challenge, and Coogler made it clear that he wanted to push him out of his comfort zone.
The actor and filmmaker have already done five films together, starting with Fruitvale Station in 2013, the film that helped launch Jordan’s career as a leading star.
He explained that Coogler understood his desire to keep growing creatively.
“Ryan knew I wanted to grow and develop as an actor, and this was definitely an opportunity… to show a range for me to develop two different characters.”
Building Smoke and Stack required Jordan to go deep emotionally. Both characters are World War I veterans turned Chicago gangsters who return home to Clarksdale, Mississippi, only to encounter a darker threat in the South in 1932.
The actor said their personalities are shaped by trauma, something he believes everyone can relate to on some level.
That trauma led to very different people: Smoke as the protective, paternal big brother and Stack as the more charismatic risk-taker.
“There was a bit of heaviness, but also lightness,” Jordan explained. “They’re two different characters, but they make up one person. Their dynamic is so special and cultivated.”
With Sinners Jordan’s jump into a demanding dual performance has clearly paid off.
For him, this recognition not only marks a major milestone, but also a moment that reflects the bold artistic risks he continues to take.
