Oprah Winfrey hosted her life-changing Super Soul Conversations in the middle of New York City’s Time Square Tuesday and sat down with so many of our faves. Michael B. Jordan, Beto O’Rourke, Melinda Gates, Lisa Borders and Bradley Cooper all sat across from the interview queen, with each conversation offering authentic and unique revelations.
Still, it was Jordan’s interview that stood out, mostly because of thirst (not from Winfrey, of course).
Winfrey asked Jordan about being a part of the very elite group of Black Hollywood and he said, “For me, I always found myself being the Trojan Horse. I always looked at myself as the guy who could infiltrate and kind of keep the door open, and open it up as much as I can.”
“There was a time, right after Fruitvale Station, where I only wanted to go after roles that were written for white males,” he said of his journey in Hollywood. “If the breakdown came and it was for an African-American, I didn’t want to do it because I felt like there was a certain bias from writers who were writing from their experiences and what they see in media and they never really had contact with Black and brown people.”
Oprah added, “And you wanted to say, ‘I can do it all?'”
Jordan nodded in agreement. “I can do whatever it is. I looked at roles that Tom [Cruise] was playing, Bradley Cooper…My mindstate was, if I can do a role that was written for them, inherently of course, me playing the role will make it that; it doesn’t need to be in the breakdown that it’s an African American.”
Not many Black actors get to experience the luxury of colorblind casting. Jordan mentioned something, fellow actor, Denzel Washington said once. He said, when it comes to roles, he [Denzel] wanted audiences to see him as a Black man, surviving in film. He wanted to appear “as the hero, so they could get used to seeing you as the lead, as the hero character.” So new, Jordan has a standard of living, literally, where he looks at roles where he gets to survive. He says that his mother had a lot to do with that request.
Jordan took that advice — adding that his mother had a lot to do with that request — but Winfrey had a good question. She inquired about Killmonger’s death in Black Panther.
“It was worth it,” he replied.
“Will you be resurrected?” Oprah asked. And Michael B. Jordan claimed he knew nothing.
Ryan Coogler, the film’s director and one of Jordan’s closest friends refuses to share any information about the sequel to the billion dollar blockbuster. Jordan did share, however, that he’d like Killmonger to be revived.
We all would.
But until then, we can dream of Jordan as the next Superman. What!? Yes, Winfrey shared a rumor that she heard the Hollywood heartthrob would be the next Superman.
“That was a rumor. I heard that. It’s flattering. I’m humbled. I would rather do something original,” Jordan said of being the first Black superman. “You can’t do everything. I don’t want to be over-saturated. I don’t want everybody to see me 24/7/365. I want to do things that move the needle in one way. I’m strategic about the moves that I make and the roles that I play because you’re immortalized forever.”
Jordan and Oprah are teaming up on a new OWN series, David Makes Man, as producers. Jordan understands the importance of diversity in front of, and behind the camera. His production company, Outlier Society Productions has officially signed a first look TV deal with Amazon and they are credited with being the first production company to have an inclusion rider, in which Jordan referred to as a tool to help the industry understand the impact of diversity and inclusion.
Winfrey also talked to Jordan about investing in his dream, living at home with his mom, what his love life looks like (this part gets juicy!), the depression he was in after playing Killmonger, his latest project Just Mercy with Jamie Foxx and more.
Make sure you catch Winfrey’s Super Soul Conversations in Times Square on Saturday, February 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on OWN.
