Denzel Washington’s Advice to Michael B. Jordan: Avoid Overexposure to Stay a Star!

Michael B. Jordan has once again demonstrated his allure as a leading actor with the recent success of Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” a vampire-themed thriller that has grossed over $350 million globally. In a cover story for New York Magazine, Jordan revealed that he deliberately minimizes his presence on social media and avoids extensive personal press coverage to maintain a mystique that enhances his appeal as a film star. This approach seems to be effective, judging by the financial success of “Sinners.”

Jordan, who looks up to Denzel Washington as a major influence, shared that Washington once advised him to limit his online presence to avoid the risk of becoming too commonplace. Washington succinctly questioned Jordan, “Why would they pay to see you on a weekend if they see you all week for free?”

Jordan has been ambitiously pursuing a film career after transitioning from television roles. He started with early movie roles like in “Hardball” and gained more attention through his television work on “The Wire” and “Friday Night Lights.”

“About 12 years ago, I was really unsure about the direction of my career,” Jordan disclosed. “Was I just a TV actor? What was my path forward? I just wanted to land an independent film to prove my capabilities and to discover if I could lead a film.”

The opportunity came when Jordan received the script for “Fruitvale Station” and met with the director, Ryan Coogler. That meeting proved pivotal, as Coogler expressed his belief in Jordan’s star potential and his desire to showcase that to the world through the film.

“Fruitvale Station” received critical acclaim, catapulting both Jordan and Coogler into the spotlight. They later collaborated on major hits like “Creed” and “Black Panther,” and their recent project, “Sinners,” has also been a commercial success.

“Mike absolutely deserves to be a leading man,” stated Jordan’s manager, Phillip Sun, in New York Magazine. “He’s not just a Black leading man. We’ve pursued a variety of roles without focusing solely on race.”

Following Washington’s advice, Jordan strategically limits his activity on popular social platforms like X and TikTok and is selective with his Instagram posts, which is followed by 25 million fans. His posts are mostly confined to promoting his film projects. Washington also directed Jordan in the 2021 romantic drama “A Journal for Jordan.”