Michael B. Jordan is an actor and producer. He's best known for his roles as boxer Adonis Creed in Creed, and Erik Killmonger in Black Panther. I had a chance to sit down and interview Jordan for Male Standard. I wanted to understand the type of person that it takes to be successful in Hollywood. His insights on confidence, rejection, and hard work stood out and apply to any ambitious founder looking to make an impact in the world today.
Can confidence be developed?
"I think confidence is developed, but it doesn’t mean you have to live a certain type of way to gain confidence. I also think confidence is something that’s in the eye of the beholder. Once you make the decision to be comfortable with yourself and you don’t really care what anybody else thinks, you exude a confidence that people gravitate towards. But for many people, we aren’t born a certain way or with a certain attitude; it’s a learning curve, and you have to work out what is right for you."
How can one build confidence?
"Working out builds confidence because it’s tough, but there’s a reward. There’s going to be days when you don’t feel like doing it, but you get up and you do it anyways and it’s going to pay off in the end. Just knowing that all of your work and sacrifice that you put it right now, it’s gonna pay dividends down the road. That motivates me to keep jamming and work hard."
Dealing with and handling rejection
"I’ve been in this industry for 15 years and let me tell you, it gets easier; at a young age, you’re not emotionally equipped to really handle rejection; it can be very personal. You’re like, 'Oh my God! Why didn’t they want me!?' You get in there and you put your all into it, and then to hear the constant 'No’s,' you’ve gotta have tough skin. There’s tons of auditions that I never got, but in the grand scheme of things, you can’t dwell on the past. Once you go in the room, you leave everything in there and you know you did the best job that you could, and when you crawl out of that room, you’ve got to wipe it clean and forget about it."
Leaving a lasting legacy
"What do you want your dash to be? I’m born ’87 dash question mark. That little dash in the middle is how you’re going to be remembered. That’s your time here on this earth. What are you going to do with that dash? I always try to do something meaningful with that to push forward. That’s one I like to live by. Another thing is if you’re not going all in, then you can’t expect to get the things that people that go all in get. It just doesn’t make sense. You’ve got to put it in, because other people are. How can you expect greatness if you don’t give greatness?"
My interview with Michael B. Jordan was eye-opening and provided perspective on the journey it takes to become a successful actor. Jordan's story is one of determination, dedication, and an uncompromising drive to keep growing. He has learned that rejection is not a reflection of self, but a motivator to keep going.
We look forward to seeing what new heights Jordan continues to reach!
