
Michael B. Jordan is an actor, producer, and director who is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in "Sinners" at this year’s Oscars. In this conversation from May 2021, Jordan sits down with Willie Geist to discuss starring in "Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse," why he prefers doing his own stunts, and stepping into a major action franchise. Plus, he reflects on his friendship with the late Chadwick Boseman and navigating fame.
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Willie Geist
Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Got a great one for you with
Willie Geist
I'm just going to come out and say it. The coolest guy in Hollywood. I know these things are subjective, but maybe this one isn't. It's Michael B. Jordan. He's done so much in his young career. He's currently starring in an Amazon prime movie called Without Remorse. It comes from the Tom Clancy universe, of course. Jack Ryan, and now John Kelly, a former Navy SEAL played by Michael B. Jordan, who's basically trying to stop a conspiracy to start a war between Russia
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
and the United States.
Willie Geist
Incredible movie. He's also a producer on the film. His production company is called Outlier Society. They work to make movie sets more inclusive and more diverse. So he has a big say in that now with his clout that he has earned in Hollywood by playing parts, going all the way back to the Wire. Remember him on the Wire? He was a teenager playing a character named Wallace. Moved up to Friday Night Lights on NBC Fruitvale Station. Creed, of course, Black Panther, where he played killmonger opposite his good friend, the late Chadwick Boseman. The two of them, by the way, go back. Chadwick and Michael B. Jordan met on All My Children.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
That's right.
Willie Geist
Chadwick Boseman was on All My children in like 2001 and 2. He left the show. Michael B. Jordan came in after him, and that's where they first met and then went on, of course, to star together in the $1.3 billion blockbuster Black Panther. One note before we get started, we are both from New Jersey. I'm from Bergen County, New Jersey. Michael is from Essex County, New Jersey. He grew up in Newark, where he played sports and I played sports.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
So before we Got going. We started talking a little bit about New Jersey sports.
Willie Geist
So if you hear us mention, I
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
don't know, Barringer High School was one of our rival high schools in Newark. He also played against Barringer.
Willie Geist
So just a little inside baseball, inside football there as we get going on a great conversation. Amazing career, great guy. And yes, we, we talk about his current reign as people's sexiest man Alive. Here he is right now on the Sunday Sit Down Podcast. Michael B. Jordan.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Michael, thanks for doing this. Good to see you, man.
Michael B. Jordan
All right, you as well. Thanks for having me.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
We could spend most of this interview talking about New Jersey high school football, I think, but maybe we'll save that for a different time, focus on the movie.
Michael B. Jordan
Save that for another time. We can say that for another time, man.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
So let's talk about Without Remorse. I told you, I just watched it today, and, man, it comes out and grabs you from the word go and doesn't let for the next couple of hours. What does it feel like to be on the, the eve of this movie coming out that you've poured so much into?
Michael B. Jordan
I'm excited, you know, honestly. You know, we finished shooting this movie right before the pandemic hit, so to go through post and edit, you know, and really, you know, put this movie together and not really sure where exactly, you know, when it was going to come out. So now that things are loosening back up and, you know, getting ready to, you know, drop it on Amazon prime, you know, I'm really, really, really excited about this one, man.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
So let's give people a little bit of the backstory without giving too much away about who John Kelly is. It's based off the Tom Clancy book, which right away, people lean in and they want to see it, but this is sort of the origin story of a character they may not know as well.
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, John Kelly. So this is like, you know, arguably, you know, his second probably most famous character that he's created, you know, in his novels. And I've always been a fan of the Tom Clancy universe, you know, growing up playing Rainbow Six video games and really, you know, envisioning myself throughout these missions. So when I had an opportunity to really, like, give John Kelly a fresh take and modernize the story that kind of is more reflective of the world that I live in today, I just jumped at the opportunity. He kind of, he goes through a personal tragedy. He's a Navy seal. He's a really loyal guy. He believes in everything that he does. And when he gets wrong, he wants some answers. And this Movie kind of takes place of John looking for those answers, no matter where they are.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
The video game part of this is crazy to me because you literally are
Willie Geist
living out the fantasy of every kid.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
You grow up playing a video game, and now you get to go live it out.
Michael B. Jordan
Exactly. And that's one of the things. I mean, I love my job, man, and I love being able to do my own stunts. I mean, as a kid in the living room, when you're taking the couch cushions and, you know, you're, you know, you're jumping off of them and, you know, pretending, you know, playing make believe of whatever it is, These are the type of movies that I watched growing up. And so I finally being able to get into a place where I could do my own stunts and I can train for, you know, underwater sequences and, you know, burning cars and, you know, tactical training and explosions and all that good stuff. It's, you know, it's a dream come true.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
You've called this the ideal movie for you, that when you saw this, you were like, I need to do this. Why do you say that exactly?
Michael B. Jordan
Because I'm a little bit of an adrenaline junkie, you know, looking up to movie stars and action heroes like Tom Cruise and Michael Jai White, Wesley Snipes, Jackie Chan. These guys, they always put the work into it. They study, they train so they could, you know, be put in a position to actually do the stunts themselves. And I always wanted to do that. You know, I always wanted a vehicle or a movie that would allow me to actually do my own stuff. So, you know, for this one, had a great stunt team. You know, we were very safe. Put a lot of time into working out and training and getting prepared so they felt comfortable enough putting me in those positions.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
When you say you're doing your own stunts and you do in this movie, when I watch you walk up to a burning car, casually open the door and get in, or plunge into a
Willie Geist
river, let's say, and hold your breath
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
underwater for a while. That's you. That's Michael B. Jordan.
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, that's me, man. That's, you know, obviously, you know, I have, like, my stunt double clay. You know, it goes through things, make sure everything's safe, you know, works out all the kinks, make sure, you know, everything is awesome and safe, as safe as can be. But no man like you know, doing military, you know, diving, you know, and, you know, going to dive tanks and, you know, spending hours and hours and hours under there, becoming comfortable. The burning car is like, it's not too much you could really do to train for that. I think that's the one I thought about the least. I was like, all right, cool. I gotta do what? Okay, cool, let's do it. Don't think about it. You put some flame retardant gel on you to make sure you can stay as cool as possible for as long as possible, but you still might walk away with a few less eyebrows and eyelashes. It gets pretty hot getting in and out of the car.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Is there anybody in your life or on set saying, hey, you're one of the biggest movie stars in the world. We don't need you walking into a burning car right now.
Michael B. Jordan
I mean, all the producers, I think everybody was saying that had my mom on speed dial. So I think it was one of those things where I definitely had to persuade them at certain moments to let me do the things that they were like, ah, you don't have to. I'm like, no, no, no, I want to. Let's do it. Let's figure it out. So, yeah, it was fun.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
You've said before that your mom gets tired of watching you die in movies over the course of your career. So she didn't want to see it in this one.
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, this one gave her a lot of anxiety, but it wasn't as nerve wracking. I'm sure some of the other characters that I played that didn't make it out, you know, so, you know, as you get older, you start to mature and have other roles that you want to see him, you know, make it to the, you know, to the end of the credits, you know, so it's, it's, it was good.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Speaking of the end of the credits again, we can cut this out if you don't want to talk about it, but there's a moment after the credits that leads me to believe this may be the beginning of something for you. Is that fair to say in this series?
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, yeah, that's fair to say. I mean, I think we want to, you know, definitely stick around after the, after the credits. But yeah, I think we're, you know, you know, we're alluding to the fact that we think we created a world that was, you know, interesting and cool and fun and we want to see where, you know, John Clark goes from here, you know, and I don't think he's done yet, you know, so, yeah, he has a lot more to do and I'm really interested to see where he goes.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Is it cool for you, Michael, to have reached the point in your career where you can live out some of these fantasies, to have grown up watching Matt Damon be Jason Bourne or Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible or all the stars you mentioned. And now there you are standing as the guy that some kid watching movies growing up is gonna say, I wanna be Michael B. Jordan in those movies.
Michael B. Jordan
Nah, that's cool, man. That's, you know. Yeah, I mean, I think that's safe to say that's something that, you know, I'm hopeful of, you know, and I wanna continue to do movies like this, continue to inspire. I think representation is extremely important, so to be able to, you know, do a wide, you know, range of movies in different genres. And this is like my first one in this space. So to be able to. To be able to, you know, to do this type of movie is exciting for me and hopefully inspires a lot of kids, too.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Yeah. People may not realize that you're a producer of the movie outlier society. You're a production company which has become this sort of force in Hollywood. Talk a little, if you can, Michael, about why you established that, what you wanted to accomplish with that, and how it's grown now to back these major projects like Remorse.
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, I think in the beginning, you know, starting my own production company kind of sparked from my time on Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, you know, being around, you know, Peter Berg, Sarah Arbery, you know, and Jason Katum and kind of, you know, Pete was like, you know, one day you're gonna get tired of, like, waiting for the phone to call. You know, you just gotta. You gotta start owning things and creating your own IP and ownership, ownership, ownership. And I was like, you know, at that young age, I just started thinking about creating things, you know, creating opportunities for others. You know, I've been extremely blessed to have a fruitful career thus far, and I want to, you know, you gotta pay that forward, you know, so to be able to, like, create, have a production company who, you know, can shine a light on stories that maybe normally wouldn't get told, you know, and also, you know, normalize, you know, you know, films and filmmakers and building around talent that. That maybe wouldn't have gotten a shot or opportunity. You know, I want to be the tip of. Tip of the spear in that type of way and. And not create those opportunities for them.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
And you put writers in the deals where you have to have a certain level of inclusivity in terms of who works on the movie, which is an amazing piece of leverage that a handful of stars, I would think, could bring to a project.
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, the inclusion writer, you know, that mandate kind of was Inspired by Frances McDormand, you know, a few years ago during her famous Oscar speech. And I was in the audience and heard, and I was like, oh man, okay, there's something in writing that we can actually put into play. I was like, okay, cool. So, and that was something that my team started to build upon and we made that part of our company policy. And that's something that just kind of tries to raise the accountability of partners with outlier society. And it's been very successful. It's been adopted on every project thus far since we put that in place. And we'll continue to do so moving forward. So, yeah, it's definitely something I'm proud of. And, you know, we're taking steps in the right direction. A long way to go, a lot of work to do. But I think if we continue to lead by example and, you know, one step, one foot in front of the other, you know, it's all said and done, we'll look up and be like, okay, you know, we did something.
Willie Geist
Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Michael B. Jordan right after the break.
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Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Mom talk has just been blowing up.
Michael B. Jordan
Whitney and Jen are on Dancing with the Stars.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Taylor is a bachelorette.
Michael B. Jordan
Saying that loud is crazy.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Like, that is huge.
Michael B. Jordan
But all the cool opportunities could pull us apart.
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It's causing issues in everyone's marriage.
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Willie Geist
Welcome back to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Now more of my conversation with Michael B. Jordan.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
It's funny to hear you talk about the people you looked up to growing up. And I'm thinking back to your youth, your childhood in Newark, New Jersey, and how you got from where you were in Newark to modeling and acting. What was the leap for you? How did that young kid at 11
Willie Geist
years old hop into modeling?
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
And eventually that was sort of the road to show business.
Michael B. Jordan
It was my mom, you know, my mom really got me into it. She, you know, randomly, you know, at a doctor's appointment, the receptionist had two little boys who were, you know, you know, were in the industry, you know, that were models at the time and was like, you know, you should bring, you know, your sons with you too, you know, with me and, you know, crash this audition. I crashed this audition, ended up booking it, got in trouble because I didn't have any representation or whatever the case is. And then, and honestly, you know, the rest was history. You know, had a backstage newspaper down at Penn Station, randomly looked up a manager that had took out an ad for open calls, went in, auditioned, she signed me that day. And we were going out on go sees and auditions and stuff at 10, 11, 12. And then it just one small success to another, one stepping stone to another one. I just kind of just kept going. Sometimes you just gotta walk your path. You don't really know where it's gonna end up. And then you start to learn and you get to another level and you, you assess and you learn and you build and your confidence and you continue to grow and you just figure it out. And it just kind of always been like, following my gut and my intuition. But I, you know, I credit my mom for sure, of getting me started and pushing me where I am.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Was that even on your radar, though, Michael, as a kid, I know you love sports, you're a good athlete. Was that something that you thought of, like, oh, maybe someday I'll try actor? Was it just that out of the blue?
Michael B. Jordan
Out of the blue. No, it was. No, it was no thought at all, honestly. I was enjoying, you know, sports and. And just hanging out with my friends and, you know, just living. You know, you're a kid at that point, you know, I mean, I guess some. Some kids know exactly what they want to do at a young age. But I always loved, you know, you know, animation and movies and television shows. You know, I was always entertained by that. So it was. I guess it's a natural evolution.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Most people point to your performance on the Wire as sort of the breakthrough playing Wallace. How big of that. How big a deal was that in your life and your career? Did that give you the taste of, okay, I think I can do this for a living?
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, that was. That was when I really fell in love with acting. That's when I was around, you know, a lot of veteran actors that, you know, like, you know, Idris Elba, you know, Dominic West, J.D. williams, Andre Royal. Like, those guys really sat me down and had conversations with me on set and was like, hey, you can. You can. This could be a career for you, you know, if you continue to, you know, if you're serious about it and you really keep working at it. And that was when I first started to, like, you know, really look at it differently than just, oh, I'm getting out of school and I could, you know, and I'm, you know, like. Or just. Yeah, I just looked at it more as a business that type of way. And then from then, falling in love with acting, you know, just was my thing.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
And then a crazy connection on All My Children where you actually replaced Chadwick Boseman, who had become one of your great friends. What was that experience like on All My Children?
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, I mean, that's where the work ethic kicked in. You know, we would do so many episodes a week, you know, and just, like, we would just, like, you know, we would crank them out. It was a lot. You know, you just always had to be prepared. So I think that's where I really got my acting school. You know, I think that was when I really kind of started to get my reps in, I guess, as an actor. And, you know, in hindsight, you know, I was, know, with Chadwick of it all when we first kind of, you know, first. First met. Yeah. That's wild. Swap.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Yeah. I mean, when you think about what came for you guys later with one of the biggest movies in the history of Hollywood and Black Panther, to build that relationship coming off of All My Children, that's gotta be crazy. What did he mean to you as a friend.
Michael B. Jordan
No, I mean, you know, he's a. He's a special person, and it's, you know, it's a tragic loss, you know, for all of us, you know, for me, you know, our community, you know. Yeah, it's. We're still dealing with it. You know, I think we're still processing. You know, I think it comes in waves. But, you know, his legacy that he left behind, the impact that he's made on so many, you know, people around the world, you know, his family. He lives forever, you know. You know, he has an incredible body of work to be able to, you know, that we can reminisce and, you know, and get a chance to, you know, see pieces of him. But he's still with us. You know what I mean? He's still around, so he motivates and inspires me. So it's cool.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Were you guys. I interviewed Chadwick right in the middle of Black Panther Mania. I think you guys had just come back from South Korea or something, and he just plopped down across and was, like, just on this whirlwind as the movie was catching fire. Could you guys believe in that moment not just how big it was at the box office, but what a cultural force it had become around the world?
Michael B. Jordan
I mean, I think we were at that point, we were constantly taking it in from city to city, from country to country, you know, really, like, wow, okay. This is the reaction that we're getting from people. You know, this. The kids, the. You know, it's really all about the children and the kids, man. To see those look, the looks on their faces, you know, of admiration and just, you know, just happiness and, oh, wow. Like, just to know that type of impact we're making was. Was really special, you know, a time in my life I'll never forget. So it was. It was a lot of fun.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
For what it's worth, my kids still say you're lying. When you took the mask from the museum, you said, nah, I'm just feeling it. I just want. They still drop that around the house.
Michael B. Jordan
Oh, man, that's cool. See, stuff like that is cool, man. That's. That's. That's what it's all about.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
They just drop it in. Am I right in reading your story, Michael, that before Friday Night Lights when you'd gone out to la, it was a bit of a struggle for you, even with the success of the Wire and the other things you'd done, that you were wondering whether or not maybe this was the right thing, and you even considered Going back home to Jersey.
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah. You know. Yeah. You know, there's nothing's guaranteed, right. So even with the success of, you know, the Wire and, you know, All My Children, all that good stuff, you know, there's a lot of talented actors out there. You know, there's a lot that don't, you know, for whatever reason, kind of make it over that hump, you know, in that show the Wire, kind of in real time. It wasn't as popular as it was after the show was over. So, you know, doors started opening up. The right people were watching the shows that I was doing. You know, so slowly things started to catch on. But at first, when I got out here, you know, it's, you know, life of an actor, you know, you're trying to, you know, you trying to put a string of jobs together where you can, like, you know, survive and stay out here long enough until you can actually figure out what your career is going to be or what projects you can actually, you know, live off of, you know, So I think, you know, in the beginning, you know, I just knew there was a. I had a threshold. There's a moment, right? But it's so crazy. Like, you know, they say, like, right when you get ready to quit, you know, that's the moment. If you just keep going a little bit further, you would. You would have. You would have made it, you know, so it's a little bit of that, you know, you have that doubt. For whatever reason, you just continue to push through and, you know, you know, and here I am. So it's obviously, I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Yeah. Not everybody who does well on a TV show keeps pushing, though. You know, sometimes that's the moment in time and that's the thing they did. But you kept going with Fruit Veil and with Creed and all these films. At what point did you feel like you were a movie actor, really, because you had success in television? When did you feel like, okay, now this is my thing. I'm in movies, you know.
Michael B. Jordan
You know, Fruitville for me was the first time that I, you know, they answered a lot of questions as far as, like, carrying a film, you know, in a movie. But, you know, I still, you know, you know, it's. It's a. I'm a real chill guy, you know what I'm saying? So sometimes I gotta, you know, I gotta remind myself, you know what I'm saying, of, you know, the. The blessings and accomplish that, accomplishments that I've had thus far, that. But, yeah, it's a I don't believe my own hype. I don't drink the Kool Aid, you know what I'm saying? I just do the work, man, and try to tell honest stories. And I'm happy that, you know, I'm able to make an impact on people and, like, people enjoy watching my work, you know, And I continue to kind of have that attitude and point of view on it, you know?
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
And part of that progression now is you're gonna direct Creed iii, which is amazing, your directorial debut. I know you're being directed as we speak by Denzel Washington. Is he giving you any pointers on how to do this?
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, everybody is, man. I'll be a fool not to listen to, you know, like, the greats, you know, And Denzel has so many gems and wisdoms to give. So, yeah, man, I'm looking forward to telling the story and finally stepping behind the camera. I feel like I've been in my head secretly, you know, observing from that. From that type of perspective for a long time and, you know, waiting for the right thing or the right opportunity, you know, the right story to be able to tell. And I can't think of a better one than Adonis in Creed. So I'm really. I'm really excited about this.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Is that gonna be a tough thing to do where you've got to see 360 degrees of the film and then all of a sudden you gotta grease up and get. Get in the ring?
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, I think it's going to be difficult. I mean, it's going to be challenging. You know what I mean? That's just what it is. But I look forward to it, you know, it's something that, you know, I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be. I don't think you're never fully ready for it, but I'm a jump in the deep end type of guy, so, you know, here we go.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
It's funny to hear you say you are a chill guy and you don't get swept up in all the things that have come your way. So how do you react when something like people's sexiest man alive comes to you?
Michael B. Jordan
Just, wow, man. Hey, look, just smile and enjoy it. Trust me. I got enough people around me, my friends and family who give me enough that, you know, it's. You know, they. They keep me. They keep me. They keep me pretty grounded and humble. But it's. It's all fun, you know, It's a big target. Imagine all the group chats, all your closest friends and everything that you do is because the sexiest man alive. It's like, yeah, it's annoying after a while, I imagine.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
On one hand, it's an honor. On the other hand, you go, oh, I'm gonna hear from everybody.
Michael B. Jordan
Exactly. I mean, my mom and my aunties, you know, and all my, you know, all my, like, you know, all the women in my family. It's gold. You know, everybody else.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
It does seem to me, though, over the last few years, you've become more comfortable with the celebrity thing. Is that fair to say? You've been more open with your private life, and you're in love right now, and you've very open about that. Are you. Is it easier for you to kind of let that wall down a little bit?
Michael B. Jordan
Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, just understanding the industry and all the things that come along with it, you know, it's all. It's. It's not all glitter and gold, and it's, you know, it's a. It's a transition, you know, but still very private, you know, still, you know, keep a lot of stuff to myself, you know, but there's certain areas of my life that, you know, I chose to put out there more of a way to be like, all right, it's there. Now we go and move on, right? And just continue to, like, we can move on. Like, it doesn't have to be the private eye trying to dig and find out what's every little thing. So. But, yeah, I'm happy, man. And it's. I probably always will, you know, keep that part of my life, you know what I'm saying to myself. But it's. Nobody's hiding anything.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
But that's interesting that you said, because a lot of people notice that with Laurie, you've kind of gone on Instagram, and it sounds like it's a bit of a strategy to demystify it.
Michael B. Jordan
No, not a strategy, man. It's just more or less like, this is what it is, and. All right, let's keep it moving. Like, it's. That's. That. I mean, that's really it, man.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
Yeah. Well, I appreciate your time. The film Without Remorse is incredible. We didn't get around to the rivalry with Barringer in Newark, but we'll hit that next time.
Michael B. Jordan
We'll get that on the next one.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
All right, Michael, thanks for the time.
Willie Geist
Congrats.
Michael B. Jordan
I appreciate it, man. Thank you.
Willie Geist
My big thanks to Michael for a great conversation, for spending some time with me.
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
We figured we'd spare you the northern New Jersey high school sports conversation.
Willie Geist
Not of general interest, as my mother
Interviewer (Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host)
used to say at the dinner table.
Willie Geist
Michael's new movie, without Remorse, is streaming now on Amazon Prime. And my thanks to all of you for tuning in this week. If you want to hear more of the conversations with my guests every week, be sure to click subscribe so you never miss an episode. And of course, don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.
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Date: March 14, 2026
In this episode of Sunday Sitdown, Willie Geist sits down with Michael B. Jordan, one of Hollywood’s top actors and rising producers, to discuss his evolution from New Jersey kid to A-list star. The conversation covers Michael’s new action movie Without Remorse, his career-defining roles, mentorship and friendship with Chadwick Boseman, and his commitment to diversity and representation in entertainment. Michael also opens up about fame, family, taking on new challenges like directing, and the fun (and hazards) of being named People’s Sexiest Man Alive.
Film Background & Release
Playing John Kelly/Clark
“I had an opportunity to really, like, give John Kelly a fresh take and modernize the story that kind of is more reflective of the world that I live in today… he goes through a personal tragedy. He’s a Navy SEAL. He’s a really loyal guy. He believes in everything that he does. And when he gets wrong, he wants some answers.” — Michael B. Jordan (04:13)
Fulfilling Childhood Fantasies
Michael, a lifelong Tom Clancy/Rainbow Six fan, relished the chance to live out action-hero dreams (05:18).
He takes pride in performing his own stunts and the physically demanding training (05:53).
“As a kid in the living room, when you’re taking the couch cushions and you’re jumping off of them, pretending… These are the type of movies that I watched growing up. And so finally being able to get into a place where I could do my own stunts… it’s a dream come true.” — Michael B. Jordan (05:18)
Intensity of the Stunts
He describes the risks of action scenes, including underwater training and the reality of walking into a burning car (06:41–07:45).
“The burning car… not too much you could really do to train for that. I think that’s the one I thought about the least… you put some flame retardant gel on you… but you still might walk away with a few less eyebrows and eyelashes.” — Michael B. Jordan (07:35)
Pressure to Stay Safe
Future of John Clark
Post-credit scenes tease potential for a franchise (09:00).
“Yeah, I think we created a world that was interesting and cool and fun and we want to see where John Clark goes from here… I don’t think he’s done yet.” — Michael B. Jordan (09:06)
New Generation Action Hero
“To be able to do this type of movie is exciting for me and hopefully inspires a lot of kids, too.” — Michael B. Jordan (09:46)
Why Start a Production Company
Motivated by advice to take control, ownership, and create opportunities, Michael founded Outlier Society (10:42).
“Being around… Peter Berg… he was like, one day you’re gonna get tired of waiting for the phone to call. You just gotta start owning things and creating your own IP… creating opportunities for others. You gotta pay that forward.” — Michael B. Jordan (10:53)
Diversity & Inclusion Mandate
Outlier Society, inspired by Frances McDormand's Oscar speech, implemented an inclusion rider (12:02).
“The inclusion rider… was inspired by Frances McDormand… we made that part of our company policy. And that’s something that… tries to raise the accountability of partners… It’s been adopted on every project thus far since we put that in place.” — Michael B. Jordan (12:21)
From Newark to Hollywood
“It was my mom… I crashed this audition, ended up booking it… the rest was history.” — Michael B. Jordan (15:36)
No Early Plan for Acting
The Wire Breakthrough
“That’s when I really fell in love with acting… Idris Elba, Dominic West, J.D. Williams, Andre Royal… really sat me down… This could be a career for you if you continue to… keep working at it.” — Michael B. Jordan (17:44)
Relationship with Chadwick Boseman
“It’s a tragic loss for all of us… his legacy that he left behind, the impact… he lives forever… he motivates and inspires me.” — Michael B. Jordan (19:28)
The Cultural Impact of Black Panther
Michael relives the thrill and global impact, particularly for children (20:39).
“The kids… to see the looks on their faces, of admiration… just to know that type of impact we’re making was really special.” — Michael B. Jordan (20:39)
“My kids still say you’re lying. When you took the mask from the museum, you said, ‘Nah, I’m just feeling it.’” — Willie Geist (21:11)
Hollywood’s Ups and Downs
Moving to LA wasn’t easy, even after The Wire, as he struggled to find work and considered returning home (21:25–22:00).
“There’s a lot that don’t… make it over that hump… The Wire… wasn’t as popular as it was after the show was over… you’re trying to put a string of jobs together where you can survive and stay out here long enough… right when you get ready to quit… if you just keep going a little bit further, you would have made it.” — Michael B. Jordan (21:44–22:31)
Breaking Into Films
Fruitvale Station was pivotal for his film career; Michael remains humble despite his success (23:37).
“Fruitvale for me was the first time that… I’m a real chill guy… I got to remind myself… of the blessings and accomplishments… I don’t believe my own hype… I just do the work.” — Michael B. Jordan (23:37)
Directing Creed III
“I’ll be a fool not to listen to the greats… Denzel has so many gems… I’ve secretly been observing from that perspective for a long time and… can’t think of a better one [than Creed].” — Michael B. Jordan (24:34)
Being Named Sexiest Man Alive
“Just, wow, man. Hey, look, just smile and enjoy it… it’s a big target. Imagine all the group chats… everything that you do is because ‘the sexiest man alive’. It’s annoying after a while.” — Michael B. Jordan (25:50)
Adjusting to Celebrity
“Still very private… but there’s certain areas of my life that I chose to put out there more of a way to be like, all right, it’s there. Now we go and move on, right?… I probably always will keep that part of my life… to myself. But it’s, nobody’s hiding anything.” — Michael B. Jordan (26:48–27:39)
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:13 | Michael B. Jordan | “He believes in everything that he does. And when he gets wrong, he wants some answers.” | | 05:18 | Michael B. Jordan | “As a kid… pretending… These are the type of movies… a dream come true.” | | 07:35 | Michael B. Jordan | “You still might walk away with a few less eyebrows and eyelashes.” | | 10:53 | Michael B. Jordan | “You gotta start owning things and creating your own IP… you gotta pay that forward.” | | 12:21 | Michael B. Jordan | “The inclusion rider… tries to raise the accountability… been adopted on every project.” | | 19:28 | Michael B. Jordan | “He [Chadwick Boseman] lives forever… he motivates and inspires me.” | | 20:39 | Michael B. Jordan | “It was really all about the children and the kids, man… That impact was really special.” | | 23:37 | Michael B. Jordan | “I don’t believe my own hype… I just do the work, man.” | | 24:34 | Michael B. Jordan | “I’ll be a fool not to listen to the greats, you know, and Denzel has so many gems.” | | 25:50 | Michael B. Jordan | “Just, wow, man… imagine all the group chats… it’s annoying after a while.” | | 26:48 | Michael B. Jordan | “Still very private… certain areas I chose to put out there… so we can move on.” |
The conversation is candid, lively, and marked by mutual respect. Michael B. Jordan’s humility, gratitude, and sense of humor shine through, as does his commitment to representation and creating opportunities for others. Willie Geist’s tone is warm and familiar, weaving in personal New Jersey connections and encouraging Michael to open up about both the industry and his personal journey.
For listeners and fans, this episode offers an inspiring look at how Michael B. Jordan is shaping both his own legacy and the future of Hollywood—one action sequence, production deal, and honest conversation at a time.