The 39th Annual American Cinematheque Awards was held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Thursday, and Michael B. Jordan was one of the night’s big honorees.
According to a press release, the Sinners star received the American Cinematheque Award and the Motion Picture Association was honored with the Power of Cinema Award.
Ben Affleck, Mahershala Ali, Octavia Spencer and more celebrated Jordan at the event
A host of A-listers attended the event, which is an annual fundraiser for the nonprofit cultural organization American Cinematheque, to celebrate Jordan, including Ben Affleck, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Ryan Coogler, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Daniel Kaluuya, Delroy Lindo, Phylicia Rashad, Octavia Spencer, Tessa Thompson and Irwin Winkler.
Affleck described the Sinners star as a “young man with enormous talent and even more impressive character… I got to watch him navigate this world with grace and calm, and it has been one of the great joys of my career.”
Ali shared that Jordan was always destined for greatness.
“It’s quite evident that Michael B. Jordan is definitely in control [of his own destiny]… Even as a young actor, he was able to channel something greater — it didn’t matter if the screen time was 30 seconds or 30 episodes, Michael’s talent has always reflected the truth… doing whatever it takes to get the shot,” he said.
Octavia Spencer recalled playing Jordan’s mother in Fruitvale Station, which saw the Black Panther actor take on his first leading role.
“You make more than a massive impression; you make a movie that withstands the test of time,” she said of Jordan.
Irwin Winkler, who worked with Jordan on Creed III, talked about Jordan’s talent behind the camera (he served as a first-time director and producer on the film). As did Bradley Cooper, who deemed Jordan a hero on and offscreen.
“You’ve become a hero to so many, not just because of the characters you play, but because of who you are: you’re bold, you’re curious and strong, and you’re humble in a way that makes the rest of us wonder, ‘Do you have a secret contract with the universe?’…You are shaping the culture, you’re lifting spirits, and you’re casually redefining what it means to be a hero,” Cooper shared.
Kaluuya, Bassett, Lindo and Cruise also praised his talent, curiosity and leadership on set.
Coogler said Jordan ‘has the power to make magic’
Coogler, who has collaborated with Jordan on countless films, including Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther and others, highlighted his physical commitment to work, including training 12–15 hours a day to transform into a boxer and learning how to fire military-grade weapons to portray a Navy SEAL authentically.
“He has the power to make magic. He has the power to get to the truth that all of our humanity is real, that all of these constructs we make — race, identity, citizenship, though deadly, though powerful, they are just constructs. Mike shines through that,” he said.
When accepting the American Cinematheque Award, Jordan thanked Coogler for their relationship and how it’s informed his career.
“Finding a collaborator like [Coogler] early in my career changed everything for me. I’m very fortunate to have him and our creative partnership,” he said, adding, “There’s so much going on in the world right now, and that can be really heavy at times, so I want to continue to be the light and hopefully spark that same light in you. It’s a blessing to wake up and do what we do everyday for a living…”
He concluded his remarks by quoting novelist Toni Morrison.
“‘If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it,'” he said before adding, “So, to the artist, plant your seeds, find your people, build with them. And to the people making decisions about what stories do get told, be bold. Take the risk, these stories matter.”