'Fruitvale Station' Star Michael B. Jordan: The Next Denzel?

Great to have you back.

Thanks for having me.

Looking very dapper.

Appreciate it.

You read my mind the last time.

I did.

Are you reading ladies' minds on Did you read Octavia's mind on set?

Um no, that would be cheating. I tried to do that. I wanted to keep it a surprise, so I just kinda turned it off for a little.

Well, she was just in here and she called you fine. Fine like what? Like good looking, like hot, like.

Isn't that weird my mom calling me fine? Cuz she's playing your mom in the movie. It's a little weird, right? It's a little weird. You got to tell her I love her. Tell her tell her I ain't never going to leave her. Tell yourself.

But I can only say that because in Hollywood she can play your mom. But really, she's a gorgeous lady too. Octavia is amazing. I love her. I knew you said about her that being on set with her because it's such heavy subject matter that she sort of lightened the mood. She could always make people laugh when people were sobbing. Yep. Right? Is she the jokester on set? I would think it would be you.

No, I don't know. I I'm I mean, I was kind of like locked in cuz most of my stuff is pretty is pretty pretty heavy. But um Octavia is definitely um uh the jokester on set. Yeah, she is. I mean, every once in a while, she'll like blurt out on some like monologue or like she'll start start singing randomly or like she's definitely the prankster on set. So we had a good time. She definitely knew the right moments to kind of like make things light because it was so heavy. a lot a lot of the time.

Well, I know people are talking about this being your breakthrough role. You're getting compared to Denzel, you're getting compared to Will Smith. They're talking about award season already.

Yeah, that's what they're saying.

That's I love how you're being humble about this whole thing. And I know the director talked about putting you in you're almost in every single frame of this film. And you talked about that sort of freaking you out at first.

Oh, I mean, it was annoying. I literally when the first time I saw it, I was like, can you please cut the something out? It's like I'm tired of seeing my face. It was it was it was it was a a bit overwhelming at first. You know, as an actor, you know, you go through the process of like, you know, you're doing the episodics, doing the guest stars here and there, you know, but you're always kind of looking for that role or you know, or that opportunity to kind of, you know, to be the leading man, to be, you know, to carry a film. And when this opportunity came around, it's like I can I just jumped at it. Like it was a I was looking forward to it.

Did it reach you private when you read this script?

I definitely did. I I mean, I literally

And you'll admit it and you're a man. I love that.

I mean, I still have like the the tear stain script, man. It was it was it was powerful like Ryan's an incredible writer, you know, and a lot of it's on the page, you know, Um so, yeah, I'm I'm crying. sometimes

Well, it's a good thing when it's acting, right? It's a good thing when it's the business. It probably works for you out outside of the business.

No, I mean, a good movie would definitely make me cry. I don't shy away from it.

I know the film has been, it's gotten so many accolades between Sundance and Can, getting a standing ovation.

No, it was pretty crazy.

The Grand Prize Grand Jury Award. Yep. at Sundance. What was more fun? Um Which festival is more fun?

I mean, you know, make me choose. I ain't never going to

You got to choose.

If I choose if I choose Sundance, then

You'll never be invited back to Can.

No. I'm going to say, you know, the first film festival that I went to was Sundance and that was like, you know, I thought it couldn't get any better. Cans was a whole other situation because, you know, I've never been to France before. So that was the first time for that.

Oh, really?

And um, you know, you see so many actors walk, you know, through the red carpet of the Palais, up to the theater and like, you know, like actors I look up to and to be able to finally see myself in that situation is just kind of is like mind-blowing to me. And, you know, standing ovation was was was pretty cool. Um, I I knew what it felt like to be like a like an artist on the stage, like a rapper for like two seconds, getting that immediate that immediate affection from like the audience, it it was very it was like JZ. Just like two seconds. Just just for two seconds. Just for two seconds. But um, it it it was it was pretty cool and then like partying in in in South of France is not too bad either.

He says that with a grin on his face. And speaking of actors that you looked up to, I know you've talked about you want to have a career like Leo or Ryan Gosling. Has this film and sort of having that first big leading role and have such positive response. Has it changed your sort of focus as an actor? Or have you always sort of had that goal in mind?

No, it's just kind of always had that goal in mind. It was just kind of just taking the necessary steps to kind of get there, you know, Um time, patience, you know, Um learning to walk before you run, and maturing, you know, everything happens in due time, you know, And I feel like as I got older and as I'm getting older, I'm starting to, you know, realize how the business really works and just, you know, the choices that you make are really really important and like somebody like Leo and like Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, they're very um they they make great choices, you know, Um moving forward. They don't They make movies for the right for the right reason. Yeah. You know, And I think uh if I keep that in mind moving forward and continue to inspiring and work with like-minded people and creative people that want to that want to do good work, you know, then we'll we'll see where where that takes me.

Well, I know the director Ryan said there was no other choice for the role but you. So congratulations. That was Yeah, that was crazy too. Thank you for coming in.

Thanks for having me.

All right. Sweet. Good to see you again.

Good to see you too.

What am I thinking right now?

I'm not telling you.