Michael B. Jordan opens up on how his television career "opened so many doors" for his career

Michael B. Jordan has had quite a successful career in the industry, and while you may know him for his roles in Black Panther, Creed and this year's box office blockbuster Sinners, the actor has his roots in soap opera television, and credits his time on the small screen for his flourishing career.

In an interview with People Magazine, the actor talked about how his time on All My Children was one of the biggest surprises in Hollywood, leading to a lot of casting directors recognizing him. Speaking to the outlet, he said,

"I never knew how many casting directors and executives in Hollywood would tell me, 'Oh man, my wife really loves you.' Or like, 'Oh, she watches you all the time on the stories. … Come in for this and read for that,' "

He then added how this led to a lot of open doors that later helped his career as he said,

"It opened up so many doors in the most unexpected places for me, and that was... I think looking back at it, that was something that definitely caught me off guard. I didn't expect that one. So that and The Wire were the two projects that really opened up a lot of doors for me in that sense."

More details on Michael B. Jordan's career

Michael B. Jordan’s path has been wild, ambitious, and stacked with projects that have pushed him into every corner of film and television. His rise really kicked off with a string of powerhouse film roles made in collaboration with Ryan Coogler. Starting with Fruitvale Station in 2013, then Creed in 2015, Black Panther in 2018, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022, and finally Sinners in 2025, Jordan delivered performances that earned him consistent critical praise. He returned to the ring as Adonis Creed in Creed II in 2018 and Creed III in 2023, with that third film marking his debut as a director.

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Before all of that, Jordan built his foundation on television. He first caught major attention as Wallace in season one of HBO’s The Wire in 2002. From there he became a familiar face on ABC’s All My Children between 2003 and 2006, before moving into the NBC drama Friday Night Lights, where he played Vince Howard from 2009 to 2011. Michael B. Jordan's television resume includes roles in shows like The Sopranos, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bones, House, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Parenthood and What If…?

Looking ahead, Michael B. Jordan is set to collaborate with Coogler once more on Wrong Answer, based on the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal. He will also direct, produce, and star in a new adaptation of The Thomas Crown Affair, and is attached to appear in the vampire film Blood Brothers. Through Outlier Society’s first look deal with Amazon, Jordan is developing Val-Zod, an HBO Max series centered on a Black version of Superman.

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