We're revisiting the child star–turned–Oscar nominee's greatest acting achievements. The 10 most thrilling Michael B. Jordan performances to date, ranked We're revisiting the child star–turned–Oscar nominee's greatest acting achievements. By Ken Simmons and Kevin Jacobsen March 12, 2026 12:07 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/michaelbjordanbestperformances030426d573ecd8a23243f396600c3d014819fb.jpg) Michael B. Jordan as Wallace on 'The Wire,' Elijah 'Smoke' Moore in 'Sinners,' and Adonis Creed in 'Creed'. Credit: HBO/Courtesy Everett Collection; Courtesy of Warner Bros.

We're revisiting the child star–turned–Oscar nominee's greatest acting achievements.

The 10 most thrilling Michael B. Jordan performances to date, ranked

We're revisiting the child star–turned–Oscar nominee's greatest acting achievements.

By Ken Simmons and Kevin Jacobsen

March 12, 2026 12:07 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Michael B. Jordan as Wallace on 'The Wire,' Elijah 'Smoke' Moore in 'Sinners,' and Adonis Creed in 'Creed'. Credit:

HBO/Courtesy Everett Collection; Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures; Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.

A casual viewer might not know it from his boyish good looks, but Michael B. Jordan is a show business veteran.

After an early stint in modeling, he started his acting career at age 12 with TV guest spots, later earning more prominent roles on HBO's *The Wire* and *Friday Night Lights *before dabbling in film. But it was his 2013 performance in *Fruitvale Station* as Oscar Grant, a real-life victim of police violence, that was the catalyst for Jordan becoming a mega-star.

The indie drama was Jordan's first of many collaborations with writer-director Ryan Coogler, who subsequently cast him as Adonis Creed in *Creed* (2015) and Erik Killmonger in *Black Panther* (2018), making him a box office draw. Twelve years after their first film together, Jordan starred in Coogler's universally acclaimed horror thriller, *Sinners* (2025), in a dual role that earned him his first Oscar nomination and an Actor award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

In celebration of Jordan's high achievement, we're looking back at the actor's 10 best roles, from his early TV performances to his recent work on the silver screen.**

Reggie Porter Montgomery, All My Children (2003–2006)

Michael B. Jordan as Reggie Porter Montgomery (right) on 'All My Children'. Virginia Sherwood/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Following a devastating turn on *The Wire*, Jordan played up the drama on the ABC soap opera *All My Children*.

The rising star played Reggie Porter Montgomery, a troubled teen who was adopted by former district attorney Jackson Montgomery (Walt Willey). Chadwick Boseman originated the role, but was fired after voicing concerns about Reggie's "thuggish" racial stereotyping. Still, his speaking up lead producers to revise the way the character was written once Jordan took over — a change Jordan credits to his *Black Panther* costar.

"I was playing this role not knowing that a lot of the things I was going through were because of what [Boseman had] already done for me," Jordan said in a 2019 interview *TheWrap* conducted with both actors. "It's hard to speak in the moment about how things we do can affect other people. But this is a pure example, right here on the spot — we ain't never talked about this before a day in our lives — to understand how what people do now can directly affect what other people do in the future." —*K.S.*

Alex, Parenthood (2010–2011)

Michael B. Jordan as Alex and Sarah Ramos as Haddie Braverman on 'Parenthood'. Byron Cohen/NBC

Jordan delivered a powerful television performance on the NBC family dramedy *Parenthood*, with a recurring role in seasons 2 and 3 as Haddie's (Sarah Ramos) boyfriend, Alex.

Haddie's parents (Peter Krause and Monica Potter) initially object to her relationship with Alex, as they feel he's too mature for their teenage daughter; he lives alone and is recovering from an alcohol abuse problem. But the soup kitchen manager is a good guy with a good heart, who ultimately breaks up with Haddie because they are from different worlds. Thanks to Jordan's deft portrayal, viewers were just as upset over the breakup as Haddie and her family were. —*Ken Simmons*

Steve Montgomery, Chronicle (2012)

Alex Russell as Matt Garetty, Michael B. Jordan as Steve Montgomery, and Dane DeHaan as Andrew Detmer in 'Chronicle'. Alan Markfield/20th Century Studios

Jordan first worked with *Fantastic Four* (2015) director Josh Trank on *Chronicle*, an independent superhero movie featuring three high school friends who gained special powers after encountering a mysterious object near their homes in Seattle.

The film explores the dark side of superpowers through a found-footage-style lens, with Jordan starring as Steve Montgomery, a popular high school student who, along with his peers, develops telekinetic abilities with dire consequences. His role is pivotal as a heroic and charismatic young man who inspires his friends to use their powers for more than just their own amusement. And his pathos, along with the film's excellent special effects, is deeply affecting. As EW's critic writes, "We're not just staring at another visually glib high-flying fantasy — we're drawn, through the ingenuity of the staging, right into the middle of it." —*K.S.*

Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy (2019)

Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson in 'Just Mercy'. Jake Giles Netter/Warner Bros.

Jordan continued to showcase his ability to embrace a broad spectrum of characters when he stepped into the courtroom for *Just Mercy. *In the emotional legal drama — based on Bryan Stevenson's best-selling 2014 memoir* — *Jordan stars as Stevenson, a young defense attorney who represents inmates on death row in Alabama — including Walter McMillan (Jamie Foxx), a Black man wrongfully convicted of murdering a young white woman.

Jordan, who also served as a producer on the conventional-yet-compelling film, once again delivers a raw, moving performance, with EW's critic remarking: "What continually floats the film is the commitment of its excellent cast, and the intrinsic truth at its core: that justice shouldn't be divided by Black and white, even if the message that delivers it sometimes is." —*K.S.*

Vince Howard, Friday Night Lights (2009–2011)

Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor and Michael B. Jordan as Vince Howard on 'Friday Night Lights'. Bill Records/NBC

Jordan returned to pulling heartstrings in the Emmy-winning series *Friday Night Lights* as Vince Howard, the star quarterback of one of the nation's best high school football teams in Texas.

Once again, Jordan appears as an undisciplined youth, this time avoiding going to juvenile detention by joining East Dillon High's team despite never playing football before. Introduced in season 4 and continuing through the final fifth season, Vince is a naturally gifted athlete who struggles with an inflated ego when colleges start recruiting him. The situation is compounded when his father gets out of jail, and starts offering up advice that contradicts Coach Taylor's (Kyle Chandler).

Vince is benched for his arrogance, but eventually turns his attitude around and leads East Dillon to the state championship — while Jordan's stellar performance in the compelling story arc cemented his rising-star status. —*K.S.*

Texas forever? See what the 'Friday Night Lights' cast has been up to since leaving Dillon

'Sinners' scene breakdown: Behind the scenes of the hallucinatory juke joint performance

Erik Killmonger, Black Panther (2018)

Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger in 'Black Panther'.

Marvel Studios 2018

Jordan and Coogler's success with *Fruitvale Station *and *Creed *set the stage for their historic third collaboration, *Black Panther*, in which Jordan portrays archvillain Erik Killmonger (a.k.a. N'Jadaka).

A former U.S. Navy SEAL lieutenant and the cousin of T'Challa (the titular superhero), Killmonger returns to Wakanda to challenge him for the throne. Jordan is magnetic in the role and eventually becomes king before T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns from his apparent death for their climactic duel.

One of Marvel's most compelling baddies, Jordan's portrayal of the scarred warrior earned him an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. "Jordan's kinetic Killmonger is no cat-stroking cartoon villain," reads EW's review of the film. "He's a genuinely tragic figure, a self-appointed warden of social justice irreparably warped by the wrongs done to him." —*K.S.*

Adonis Creed, Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), and Creed III (2023)

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed in 'Creed'. Everett Collection

After the disappointment that was *Fantastic Four, *Jordan reunited with Coogler for *Creed. *Though critics had low expectations for this *Rocky* spinoff, it became one of the most surprising hits of the year.

Jordan stars as Adonis "Donnie" Creed, son of former heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed, previously portrayed by Carl Weathers in the *Rocky *franchise. Adonis is trained and mentored by Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the former rival turned friend of his late father.

Now considered to be one of the best boxing movies of all time, *Creed *dazzles* *due to Jordan's* *"blistering, brooding turn," per EW's critic. The film reinvigorated the franchise, leading to *Creed II *in 2018 and *Creed III *in 2023 (this time directed by Jordan himself). —*K.S.*

Wallace, The Wire (2002)

J.D. Williams as Preston 'Bodie' Broadus, Larry Gilliard Jr. as D'Angelo Barksdale, Brandon Price as Anton 'Stinkum' Artis, and Michael B. Jordan as Wallace on 'The Wire'. Everett Collection

Jordan appeared in 13 gritty episodes of *The Wire*'s debut season as Wallace, a young, naive drug dealer who works for kingpin Stringer Bell (Idris Elba). His character's downfall is his moral conscience, as he attempts to leave the drug trade and serves as an informant to the police. Spoiler alert (in case you missed it 20-plus years ago): He was killed under orders from Stringer.

Wallace's murder shocked viewers and served as the emotional apex of the show's first season, thanks to Jordan's moving performance. The budding actor drew from his own experience growing up in a rougher part of Newark, N.J., to inform his character and lure the audience into his doomed dilemma. —*K.S.*

Elijah "Smoke" Moore and Elias "Stack" Moore, Sinners (2025)

Michael B. Jordan as Elias 'Stack' Moore and Elijah 'Smoke' Moore in 'Sinners'.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Carrying a genre-bending musical horror thriller drama is hard enough when you're playing one character. Now add in a *second* character, and you have Jordan's stunning double act in *Sinners*. Jordan plays identical twins, nicknamed Smoke and Stack, who start up a Mississippi juke joint using stolen Mob money. On opening night, their jubilation is interrupted by the arrival of a sinister threat, leading to a bloody brawl under the pale moon.

EW's writer calls *Sinners* "an absolute riot, a no-bones-about-it horror flick heightened by powerful music, confident performances, and rich, resonant themes regarding cultural assimilation." And Jordan's performances as Smoke and Stack are indeed confident and distinctive, not just in their different sartorial choices but in their mannerisms, with the actor excelling at portraying both Smoke's stoic practicality and Stack's swaggering charm. It's no wonder the industry recognized his work, which earned him an Actor award from SAG-AFTRA (two, actually…an individual one for his lead performances and another for being part of the ensemble cast) and his first Oscar nomination. —*Kevin Jacobsen***

Oscar Grant, Fruitvale Station (2013)

Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant and Kevin Durand as Officer Caruso in 'Fruitvale Station'.

Ron Koeberer/TWC

One year after *Chronicle, *Jordan's breakthrough performance came in *Fruitvale Station *as Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old unarmed Black man who was fatally shot in the back by a BART police officer in 2009. The film — which tells the true story of the last 24 hours in Oscar's life — also shed light on how much still needs to be done in the fight for racial justice.

EW's review of the film praises Jordan's performance as being "grippingly subtle. He shows us the despair that's ruling Oscar, the street 'tude he puts on like armor, and the joy that comes out only when he's at the home of his mother (Octavia Spencer)."

In addition to being Jordan's first lead film role, *Fruitvale Station* also marked the beginning of Jordan's special partnership with *Sinners*' Ryan Coogler, who made his feature directorial debut with the film and would go on to work with Jordan again (and again). —*K.S.*

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Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movie"

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Source: Movie

Published: March 12, 2026 at 11:38PM on Source: RED MAG

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