Everything You Need To Know About Michael B. Jordan
Film|Celebrities

Everything You Need To Know About Michael B. Jordan

Jonathan H. Kantor
Updated July 10, 2024 14 items

Thanks to his role as Erik Killmonger in the hit MCU film, Black Panther, the whole world is cheering for the awesome might that is Michael B. Jordan. While he is making waves and impressing audiences, he seemingly came out of nowhere... unless you haven't watched any television for the past 15 years. The kid was in everything from The Cosby Show to Toys "R" Us commercials, but he's only just getting started, and now you might be wondering, what other things don't I know about Michael B. Jordan?

Using his middle initial to set him apart from his world-famous basketball namesake, B. Jordan has been around for some time, but has only recently broken out to become the huge actor he is today. Much of his success began thanks to playing the lead role in the movie Creed, but did you know that Michael B. Jordan loves anime? And Martinelli's apple juice? You wouldn't think either of those things to look at him, but it's true. He also wrote an essay about a controversial casting decision in which he was involved.

So get ready to kill it at the pub with some serious Michael B. Jordan trivia, because these are some of the most interesting facts about this star you may not have known!

  • His Parents Live With Him

     

    A post shared by Michael B. Jordan (@michaelbjordan) on

    It's true, Michael B. Jordan lives with his parents. When this fact came to light, he was mocked on Twitter for being "an adult man that loves anime and lives with his parents," but he was quick to correct things by stating his parents live with him.

    It's not that unusual these days; according to a Pew Research Center study, around 15% of Americans 25-35 live in their parents's home. At 31, Jordan fits right in that age range, but he admits sometimes the living situation can lead to some awkward encounters. He told Ellen on The Ellen DeGeneres Show: 

    "I love my parents, but we have a roommate relationship right now, which is interesting. You get home-cooked meals, but then you also have random trips to the kitchen in the middle of the night. Just the random run-ins that just might be a little uncomfortable from time to time." 

  • He Loves Anime

    Michael B. Jordan's love of anime is well known across the internet. For anyone who has been following his Twitter feed for the past eight or more years, this is obvious. He regularly posts comments about the shows he is watching whether it's about Bleach, Naruto, or Dragon Ball Z.

    There's even some ongoing internet buzz circling around the idea of putting Jordan in an anime remake of Space Jam. While this appears to be entirely a fan-made home/prediction, crazier things have happened.

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  • He Wanted To Play T'Challa Instead Of Killmonger

    He Wanted To Play T'Challa Instead Of Killmonger

    Everyone wants to be the major lead in a movie, but in the case of Michael B. Jordan, it's probably better for us all that he didn't land the role of T'Challa in 2018's Black Panther. Instead, he was cast to play N'Jadaka, AKA Erik Killmonger, a character many fans and critics have called the best villain yet to be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Much of the success the film has received has definitely come as a result of Jordan's performance. While he probably would have made a killer T'Challa, he's carved out the Killmonger role for himself and the MCU.

  • He Trained For A Full Year For 'Creed'

    He Trained For A Full Year For 'Creed'

    He may make it look easy, but Michael B. Jordan put a lot of time and effort into becoming a chiseled human statue. Much of that came from preparations for the role of Adonis Johnson in 2015's Creed.

    To prepare for the role, Jordan got some tips from the Italian Stallion himself, Sylvester Stallone. The man who gave the world Rocky helped him prepare for the role and pushed him to get into pristine shape. He described his regimen in an interview to ABC News:

    "I stripped down my diet completely. Grilled chicken, brown rice, broccoli and a lot of water. I worked out two to two three times a day, six days a week. And ... if you do that consistently for about 10 months, your body will change."

    Jordan's physical change was so incredible, he landed a cover of Men's Fitness magazine.

  • He Took Some Real Shots To The Face For Creed

    He Took Some Real Shots To The Face For Creed

    Filming fight scenes is always a risky proposition. While it may seem that actors are whomping the hell out of one another, they never really are. Good editing and proper camera placement make it seem real, but you need to keep your actor's faces looking pristine so nobody actually gets hit... except, that's not really true and it happens more often than you think.

    While filming Creed, Michael B. Jordan got punched in the face for real. Not only did he get some serious fist-to-face action, it was all instigated by Sylvester Stallone. Ironically, Stallone was hospitalized and nearly died when Dolph Lundgren gave him a whack to the head during the filming of Rocky IV, so you might think he would have held back, but he told Jordan to "take it," so he did.

  • He Uses His Middle Initial To Distinguish Himself From The Athlete

     

    A post shared by Tim (@tweeket) on

    It may seem kind of obvious, but Michael B. Jordan is not an NBA star and coach. To further distance himself from the former Chicago Bulls player, Jordan decided to add his middle initial into his professional name, which is somewhat unusual for an actor.

    People ask him all the time if he knows the basketball star, but the two have never met. His many adoring fans refer to him as Michael "Bae" Jordan, but — sorry to disappoint all the romantics — "Bae" is not his middle name. His real middle name is Bakari, which means "noble promise" in the Bantu language of Swahili. He was named after his father, which technically makes him Michael B. Jordan Jr.