In the entire history of the Oscars, only five black men have ever won the Oscar for Best Actor, until March of 2026. Michael B. Jordan won the Oscar for Best Actor for his roles in Sinners as identical twins, Smoke and Stack. The film Sinners has received nothing but praise in the past year, even acquiring 16 nominations for this past Oscar season. The story follows the tale of two brothers who are opening their own juke joint, yet their past and the foes of the town catch up to them. A mix of the racist Jim Crow oppression of the 1930s, as well as supernatural forces, leads the brothers to fight for survival, but it does not, in fact, end in happily ever after for them.
Jordan went above and beyond to play the malevolent brothers, going as far as controlling the muscles in his face to give Stack dimples and Smoke without. He played two very captivating performances and a heartbreaking tale of two brothers who loved each other very much, but of course, just as it is applicable in the real world, some things are out of our control that take hold of those that we love.
Jordan gave a moving speech where he expressed much love and appreciation for his co-stars, family, and friends for helping him get to where he is today, and made sure to include his gratitude for the stars that came before him, who he felt paved the way for where he is today.
“I know you guys want me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me. So, thank you for keeping betting on me. And I’m going to keep stepping up. And I’m going to keep being the best version of myself that I can be. So I just want to say thank you to everybody in this room that has something to do with my success.” -Michael B. Jordan
Fans became increasingly nervous for Jordan’s chances at winning an Oscar, given that during award season, Timothee Chalamet had been winning the Best Actor award at shows like the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, and other shows. However, many people’s tune changed when Jordan won for Best actor at the Actor awards (previously known as the SAG awards) and changed the trajectory of the game. It was a night where everyone knew what would come next, filled with cheer and change really being made in a historically racist institution that doesn’t always appreciate the actors and actresses of color.
