Michael B. Jordan Only Wants To Audition For Roles Written For White Men

Jessica McKinney
Updated
"Me playing that role is going to make it what it is."

By Jessica McKinney

Michael B. Jordan is trying to turn Hollywood upside down. Although black actors have a tendency to be typecast into playing the funny best friend or sidekick, Jordan is trying to change the stigma by going for unconventional roles. In a new cover story with Variety, the Black Panther actor explained why he only wants to audition for movie roles written for white men.

As you may know, Michael B. Jordan came into the film industry playing a series of racially-charged films and TV shows. He gained massive attention in 2002 as Wallace on HBO’s The Wire, and rose to critical acclaim as the lead in Fruitvale Station, the biographical story of Oscar Grant – a black man who was shot and killed by the police. While those roles helped shape the early years of his career, he reportedly told his agent that he no longer wanted to audition for roles solely written for African-Americans. “I said, I don’t want it,” he said of turning down characteristically black roles. “I want to only go for, like, [roles written for] white males. That’s it.

He continued: “Me playing that role is going to make it what it is. I don’t want any pre-bias on the character.” That ultimately led Jordan to land roles such as his character in Fantastic Four and Creed.

Jordan played Erik Killmonger in the recent Marvel success, Black Panther in Feb. 2018, but has a number of other roles lined up, Creed II. Check out Michael B. Jordan’s comments in the video below.

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