When somebody reaches movie star status like Michael B. Jordan has, it’s often hard to think about their humble beginnings. But, like all great actors, Jordan came a long way before he got to be in a star-studded affair like Sinners.
In fact, he actually made that journey on a much smaller screen. That’s right. Because even though some major stars get their big breaks in horror movies (such as Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween films) other actors, such as Jordan, got their breakout roles on television.
So, here are just a few of the small-screen projects that Michael B. Jordan had a part in before he became the movie star that he is today.
His First Major Role Was The Saddest Story In The First Season Of The Wire
Is The Wire the greatest show that’s ever been on television? Possibly (I think it’s either between that or Breaking Bad). I think it’s mainly because the city of Baltimore was the main protagonist, and all of the characters within it shared their story with the city. It’s why each season was special in its own way (I especially love Season 2).
Well, aside from Season 4, which covers Baltimore’s school system and is often deemed as the best season, a close second best is Season 1, which is where we were introduced to the teenager, Wallace, who has one of the saddest character arcs in the entire series. Michael B. Jordan plays the character, and the most tragic thing about his performance is that there are 16-year-old kids just like him who also have similar fates.
He Had A Home On All My Children For Awhile
You know, the world has a funny way of being both big and small. How else can you explain Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, who would later appear together as enemies in Black Panther, having their stars align much earlier, and on a soap opera no less?
That’s right, both Boseman and Jordan were on All My Children. Even crazier: they played the exact same character, Reggie Porter Montgomery. Boseman played the character for about a week before being fired, and then the role was quickly filled in by Jordan, who played the character from 2003-2006.
So again, life can be funny sometimes, right? From being a replacement to being in one of Chadwick Boseman’s best movies. Crazy stuff.
And Then Friday Night Lights Was His Last Major Role Before The Movies Came A-Calling
Even though Jordan hopped about in other shows after All My Children, like CSI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, and a Canadian sitcom called The Assistants, his last major show before he became a bona fide movie star was Friday Night Lights.
On the show, he played quarterback Vince Howard, who appeared in the last two seasons. Vince was a complex kid who only really got into football since he didn’t want to go to juvie, and he had natural talent. It kind of went to his head, which presents an interesting dynamic in the final season.
After Friday Night Lights, Jordan went on to bigger things (like winning a Best Actor trophy at the 98th Academy Awards for Sinners). Before he became a star, he started off small, just as most great things in life do.
