It’s always a fine line for any actor to play twins on screen, and Michael B. Jordan pulled it off landing his first Golden Globe nomination of his career in the Motion Picture Lead Actor Drama category for his turn as both Smoke and Stack in Warner Bros’ surprise $367M-plus grossing blockbuster Sinners.
Jordan tells us today, “When Ryan (Coogler) first called me about the role, it was a little bit of a shock. It caught me off guard. I was a little anxious, but sometimes those nerves are a good thing. I had an equal amount of excitement about playing that role. I knew it was going to be a challenge for me and Ryan wanted to push me out of my comfort zone.”
As actor and director, Jordan and Coogler’s relationship extends across from five films, including the latter’s 2013 feature directorial debut, Fruitvale Station, which was also a leading star launchpad for Jordan.
“Ryan knew I wanted to grow and evolve as an actor, and this was definitely an opportunity for me it the space, to show a range for me to develop two distinct characters,” adds the Santa Ana, California native.
Breaking down his process, Jordan told us, “As I was developing Smoke and Stack, a lot of it had to do with childhood trauma. All of us as humans have a bit of childhood trauma that we carry with us, and theirs was a tragic one,” says Jordan about the World War I vets turned Chicago gangsters who journey back to their home in Clarksdale, MI to start a juke joint. The two encounter, and their friends around them, wind up encountering a greater horror in the 1932 South.
“Smoke is more of the caretaker, the father figure of the two. Stack is the younger brother, a little more charismatic and free spirited, but equally as dangerous. There was a bit of heaviness, but also lightness. They are two different characters but they make up one person. Their dynamic is so special and cultivated.”
At the Sinners juke joint night two weekends ago, Jordan told us that I Am Legend 2 is still happening, but a bit farther off. He’s currently in post on his second directorial after the $276M-plus grossing Creed III, the Thomas Crown Affair.
Jordan promises that the art heist movie will have the same sexiness and thrills as the original 1968 Steve McQueen movie and 1999 Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo features. But, “there’s greater stakes, twists and turns” promises Jordan.
Thomas Crown Affair, which also stars Adria Arjona and Aubrey Plaza, comes out in theaters via Amazon MGM Studios on March 5, 2027.