The wildly popular actor Michael B. Jordan was honored with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award on Thursday night for his work in Sinners. He is only 39 (his birthday was on Monday), yet he has already delivered so many complex and iconic TV and film performance. He has also produced and directed several films.
He began the evening’s discussion with SBIFF Director Roger Durling by stressing the importance of family in his life, and indeed many family members were there with him, in the front rows. He described in particular the support of his mother, who took him by train to rehearsals, auditions, and acting jobs in the early days.
His career began with modeling work (although he looked very bashful when this was mentioned) and television commercials. He felt he was a token black figure in these ads, but at the same time acknowledged the value of learning about auditioning and the industry in general from this work. He also later credited his soap opera work on All My Children (2003-2006) for teaching him discipline, especially the skill of quick script memorization.
His first big role was in the first season of The Wire, in 2002, and it was during this work that he realized he really wanted to pursue acting as a career. He was cast in many other television shows, including a role on Friday Night Lights. Describing the reality of the early phase of his career, he noted “You become famous or recognizable long before you’re financially stable.”
He left New Jersey for Los Angeles when he was 18. He never received formal acting training, although he did attend the Newark Arts High School. One early preparation technique he developed was keeping a journal to help develop a character. As his career progressed, he became more selective about the roles, after he completed Red Tails and Chronicle in 2012.
Jordan knew he wanted to play a meaty role in an independent film, and along came Ryan Coogler, who wrote the lead part in Fruitvale Station for him. In the discussion it was noted that the relevance of that film and its depiction of police violence against black youth unfortunately remains.
Only a week after they began work on this film, Coogler was already pitching him Creed. Jordan emphasized their personal and professional connection, noting their mutual interests in sports, Japanese anime and other comics, and many other cultural touchpoints.
Next was Creed, followed by Creed II, and eventually Creed III which Jordan also directed. He sees that film as being “quadrilingual,” in that it features English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and fighting as a form of communication.
Two very different film projects were discussed next: Black Panther, a wildly popular Marvel action/fantasy, and Just Mercy, a true story of racial and legal justice. He clearly loves both of the roles, the villainous Erik Kilmonger in the former, and criminal defense lawyer Bryan Stevenson in the latter. He sees them both as men who love and fight for their people.
He briefly mentioned the late Chadwick Boseman, his co-star in Black Panther, and became clearly emotional. He said he often thinks, “What would Chad do?” and carried him in his mind during the filming of Sinners.
The last clip of the evening was from Sinners, in which Jordan played identical twin brothers, Smoke and Stack. He wanted to delineate the brothers, and in preparing the characters he kept two separate journals. He said he is still processing the impact and success of the film (16 Oscar nominations!).
The conversation ended with Jordan revealing that he is preparing to direct, and star in, a new version of The Thomas Crown Affair.
This announcement was followed by the award presentation by Jordan’s Sinners co-star Delroy Lindo. While he held pages of notes, Lindo ignored them and spoke from the heart. He said his prepared remarks couldn’t cover what he had seen and heard this evening. He spoke with intense admiration for Jordan, highlighting that he is someone with clear agency with his work and his life. As he beautifully said, “It is important to give the flowers in real time.”
The 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival takes place from February 4-14, 2026. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes are held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre and the new McHurley Film Center. Passes for the 2026 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
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