Michael B. Jordan wins best actor Oscar for dual role in “Sinners”

By Africanews with AFP

Michael B. Jordan has won the Best Actor Oscar for his dual role in the supernatural drama Sinners, portraying twin brothers confronted with pure evil in a vampire-themed fable set against the backdrop of racial segregation in the American South.

At 39, Michael B. Jordan secured the award on his first nomination, after building momentum with a recent Screen Actors Guild win. He triumphed over a competitive field that included Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent and Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon.

Jordan’s performance as Smoke and Stack — World War I veterans returning to Mississippi to open a juke joint during the Prohibition era — anchored the film’s blend of social commentary and supernatural horror. The movie marks another collaboration with director Ryan Coogler, who has repeatedly cast Jordan in complex roles since their breakthrough with Fruitvale Station.

With this win, Jordan joins the small group of Black actors who have received the Best Actor Oscar, following pioneers such as Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith.

Michael B. Jordan, Best Actor winner for “Sinners”: “I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith. And to be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys. Thank you everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it.”