Michael Bakari Jordan ( ; born February 9, 1987) is an American actor, film director and producer. He is known for his film roles as shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama Fruitvale Station (2013), boxer Adonis Creed in Creed (2015), and Erik Killmonger in Black Panther (2018), all of which were written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Jordan reprised his role of Creed in Creed II (2018), and did so again in Creed III (2023), which also marks his directorial debut. Jordan initially broke out in television, playing Wallace in the first season of the HBO crime drama series The Wire (2002); Reggie Montgomery on the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003–2006) and Vince Howard in the NBC sports drama series Friday Night Lights (2009–2011). His other films include Chronicle (2012), That Awkward Moment (2014), Fantastic Four (2015), and Just Mercy (2019), in which he portrayed Bryan Stevenson. In 2018, Jordan received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie, as a producer on the television film Fahrenheit 451. Jordan is the recipient of several accolades, including six NAACP Image Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Producers Guild of America Award. In 2020, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, as well as Peoples Sexiest Man Alive. In the same year, The New York Times ranked him 15th on its list of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century. Jordan is also a co-owner of English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth. Early life Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, to Donna and Michael A. Jordan. Jordan's family spent two years in California before moving to Newark, New Jersey. He attended Newark Arts High School, where his mother worked, and where he also played basketball. During his time at Newark Arts, Jordan was bullied by other students for his desire to be an actor and model, including by future radio show host Lore’l. Jordan has a sister, Jamila, and a younger brother, Khalid, who attended Howard University in 2010, where he played football. Career 1999–2008: Beginnings Jordan worked as a child model for several companies and brands, including Modell's sporting goods and Toys "R" Us, before deciding to embark on a career as an actor. He launched his career as a professional actor in 1999, when