Before Sunday night, only five African American men had won the Best Actor Oscar over 97 ceremonies. At the 98th Oscars, a sixth name was added to that list, Michael B. Jordan. The actor, director, and producer won the Best Actor for playing twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s Best Picture nominee, “Sinners.”
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Jordan triumphed overWagner Moura for “The Secret Agent,” “Blue Moon” lead Ethan Hawke, “One Battle After Another” star Leonardo DiCaprio, and Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme.” The latter was the long-assumed frontrunner until Jordan won the equivalent honor at the 2026 SAG Actor Awards two weeks ago. The race was seemingly up in the air after a rare year where the BAFTA Award went to “I Swear” star Robert Aramayo, who was not nominated here.
The Santa Ana, California native also earned BAFTA Award, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe Awards nominations for his performance. He won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, as well as Best Actor from several critics’ groups. He was also recognized along with his castmates for a slew of Best Ensemble honors, including at the SAG Actor Awards.
The 39-year-old’s first major role was opposite Keanu Reeves in “Hardball” 25 years ago. He followed that up as Wallace on the seminal television program “The Wire” in 2002 and as Vince Howard on the classic series “Friday Night Lights.” As an adult, he had a breakout year on the big screen in 2012 with “Chronicle” and “Red Tails,” but his career took a massive turn in 2013 when he earned critical acclaim for his portrayal as Oscar Grant in Coogler’s debut feature film, “Fruitville Station.”
Over the years, Coogler and Jordan have also collaborated on “Black Panther” and the “Creed” franchise. Jordan’s other notable film credits include “Just Mercy,” “Without Remorse,” and “Fantastic Four.” He made his directorial debut with “Creed III” and is currently in post-production on “The Thomas Crown Affair,” in which he’ll also star.
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