Michael B. Jordan is now an Academy Award-winning actor. Having won ‘Best Actor’ in a Leading Role at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday.
Jordan approached the stage to loud applause and standing ovations. “God is good,” he began his acceptance speech before saying with a smile, “Mama, what’s up!” And the audience, laughing. Jordan acknowledged his mother, his date to the Academy Awards, and his father, who he says, traveled from Ghana to be there, along with his brothers and sisters, and family that showed up for his special night.
Jordan’s speech couldn’t go on without him thanking Ryan Coogler. Jordan has a longstanding work relationship with the writer, producer, and director. The two have collaborated before on films like Fruitvale Station, Creed (2015), and the Black Panther franchise. “I love you, bro,” was Jordan’s sentiment to Coogler, while he also thanked his cast members and his team.
“Whew, man God!” exclaimed Jordan, taking in the moment. “I stand here because of the people that came before me,” Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith…amongst those giants, amongst those greats, and my ancestors, and most of all, my God. Thank you to everybody in this room and everybody at home that have supported me and my career. I know you guys want me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me. Thank you for keep betting on me. And I am going to keep stepping up, and I am going to keep being the best version of myself I can be. And I just want to say thank you to everyone in this room that had something to do with my success. I love you guys. Everybody at home who supported ‘Sinners,’ who went to see the movies once, twice, three, four, or five times, thank you, because you guys make this movie what it is. I love you, I love you, I love you,” said Jordan, holding his Oscar, and before exiting the stage.
The Ryan Coogler-directed film earned a record sixteen Oscar nominations, surpassing Titanic’s fourteen in 1997 and exceeding previous top nominees “All About Eve” and “La La Land.” Coogler received his first Academy Award for “Best Original Screenplay,” and Autumn Dural Arkapaw made history as the first woman to ever win “Best Cinematography,” and Ludwig Göransson took home the award for “Best Original Score.”
Congratulations to the entire ‘Sinners’ cast.
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