Michael B. Jordan has been making a name for himself in Hollywood for over two decades. Although the New Jersey native initially broke out in television in HBO’s The Wire and ABC soap opera All My Children, he soon headed for the big screen. Jordan got his major leading role in 2013 for Fruitvale Station.

In addition to his acting, Jordan has made headlines for simply being sexy. In 2020, he was dubbed PEOPLE‘s Sexiest Man Alive.

“It’s a cool feeling,” he told PEOPLE at the time as he graced the cover, flexing his chiseled arms in a tight white polo shirt. “You know, everybody always made that joke, like, ‘Mike, this is the one thing you’re probably not going to get.’ But it’s a good club to be a part of.”

Michael B. Jordan Moves Behind The Camera

In 2023, Jordan made his directorial debut on Creed III.

“My ambition has intersected at this moment where I have the experience and knowledge to direct, the opportunity within a franchise to step behind the camera and [the ability] to maximize it by having a production company. It’s my turn to make my impact while I have the energy and strength,” he said back in 2o21 to The Hollywood Reporter.

His talent has also been recognized with the honor of being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2020.

“He already is a force in front of the camera, but he’s going to be an even bigger force behind the scenes. When it comes to Michael, we should expect the unexpected,” Denzel Washington said of Jordan in his TIME profile. Washington got a chance to direct Jordan in 2021 on the film A Journal For Jordan.

Jordan’s career continues to remain promising, and we’re looking forward to seeing what’s next for him.

Take a look at eight of his best films ranked below:

• 8. A Journal For Jordan (2021)

  It’s not often that we see Jordan in the romance genre. But after his performance, we are for sure ready to see him in more of these roles. In A Journal For Jordan, the actor plays First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, a soldier who leaves a journal behind for his infant son. A Journal For Jordan is based on a true story that was first a memoir by Dana Canedy. The film also stars Chanté Adams and Jalon Christian. It was directed by Denzel Washington.

• 7. Without Remorse (2021)

  In Without Remorse, Jordan plays a Navy SEAL looking to seek revenge. The film is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Tom Clancy. It also stars Lauren London, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jamie Bell, Cam Gigandet, and more. In the film, Jordan proves that roles that utilize his athletic ability and acting expertise remain strong skills in his wheelhouse. His great looks don’t take away from his stellar acting at all.

• 6. Creed II (2018)

  In the second installment of the Creed series, Jordan finds himself figuratively and (literally) defending his late father’s name against Viktor Drago. Drago’s father killed Apollo Creed in 1985’s Rocky IV. The film also stars Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone. In this performance, Jordan was still able to bring the fire from the first film, making Creed II a thrilling watch.

• 5. Just Mercy (2019)

  Acting next to Jamie Foxx is not an easy feat, but Jordan was able to hold his own in the thought-provoking film Just Mercy. Released in 2019, Jordan plays an eager young lawyer with a Harvard degree looking to make a substantial change in the justice system defending the wrongly convicted. Just Mercy is based on a true story which was previously told in Bryan Stevenson’s 2014 eponymous memoir. The film also stars Brie Larson, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and more.

• 4. Creed III (2023)

  Creed III is the third installment of the Creed franchise and ninth overall in the Rocky series. The film arrived in March 2023 and marked Jordan’s directorial debut. As Adonis’s (Jordan) career skyrockets, an old friend, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces. He’s looking to take revenge on his old friend. This is the first Creed film that did not star Sylvester Stallone. However, Tessa Thompson returned as Adonis Creed’s wife Bianca Creed. Creed III had the biggest opening weekend for a directorial debut from a Black director with $58.7 million and had the biggest opening of all Rocky and Creed films.

• 3. Black Panther (2018)

  Black Panther has an all-star cast but one of the best performances was done by Jordan himself. Although Jordan played T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) enemy Killmonger in Black Panther, he was able to give an emotional and intriguing performance alongside his all-star castmates. He wasn’t a cartoon “bad guy”: he was an antagonist with motivations that many could identify with. The film also starred Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, and more.

• 2. Creed (2015)

  Creed made Jordan into a modern-day movie star with the start of his own franchise. Jordan stars alongside Rocky legend Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson. In Creed, Stallone who plays his Rocky character Rocky Balboa, trains Adonis (Jordan) who is the son of his former rival. Stallone was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2016 Oscars. This film marks the second time Ryan Coogler and Jordan team up as Coogler previously directed Fruitvale Station.

• 1. Fruitvale Station (2013)

  Fruitvale Station is one of Jordan’s most moving performances. Based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a young man who was shot and killed by a BART police officer on Jan. 1, 2009. Grant and his friends were pulled off a train at Oakland’s Fruitvale Station in connection with an alleged fight. The film marks Jordan’s big break into film and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler’s directorial debut.

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