The Fire Next Time

IN HBO’S FAHRENHEIT 451, MICHAEL B. JORDAN PLAYS A YOUNG MAN COMPELLED TO SAVE THE WRITTEN WORD AT ALL COSTS. IN REAL LIFE, HE’S AS FOCUSED ON CREATING HIS OWN STORIES AND MAKING EVERY MOMENT COUNT

- Matthew A. Cherry

Sitting down in a quaint sushi restaurant in downtown Philadelphia in March, Michael B. Jordan is keenly aware a man nearby has pulled his phone out in an attempt to sneak a picture. There will be five more times Jordan notices people snapping photos as he sits for this interview. “I wish they would just come by and say, ‘What’s up?’ instead of sneaking pictures,” he says, sighing. Such is the new life of an actor whose turn as one of the most memorable villains is in one of the biggest films of all time. Jordan’s supernova now.

It may seem as if the 31-year-old’s meteoric rise happened overnight, but Jordan’s trajectory has been on course for years. Pre-Killmonger fans have obsessed over his TV characters, such as Wallace from The Wire, Vince from Friday Night Lights—and even young Reggie from All My Children. Then there’s the work Jordan did after crossing paths with writer–director Ryan Coogler. Reminiscent of the synergy between Denzel Washington and Spike Lee, Jordan and Coogler’s work in critically acclaimed films—2013’s Fruitvale Station and 2015’s Creed—was only the start of a partnership that would steamroll into this year’s juggernaut, Black Panther.

Now the pride of Newark, New Jersey, is on an independent streak. Up first: Jordan leads and executive-produces HBO’s adaptation of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel about a future American society in which books are outlawed and burned by “firemen.” In his role as favored fireman Guy Montag, Jordan’s hell-bent on serving justice—that is, until he starts questioning everyone around him, even himself.