Tuesday, November 19, 2024
HomeMoviesMichael B. Jordan Details Pressures Of First Collaboration With Ryan Coogler Before...

Michael B. Jordan Details Pressures Of First Collaboration With Ryan Coogler Before Creed & The MCU


Summary

  • Michael B. Jordan discusses the challenges of filming his first collaboration with
    Black Panther
    director Ryan Coogler,
    Fruitvale Station
    .
  • Fruitvale Station
    a powerful film that documents the final day in the life of Oscar Grant III, who was killed by a police office on January 1, 2009.
  • Michael B. Jordan delivers a stellar performance in the film, acting as his breakout film leading role.


Actor Michael B. Jordan explains the pressures of working on Fruitvale Station. From Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station is a 2013 independent film that follows the story of Oscar Grant III’s last day on Earth. Jordan and Coogler went on to become frequent collaborators, working together again on Creed and Black Panther.

Years later, Jordan tells The Steam Room podcast about the challenges he faced while filming Fruitvale Station. Jordan was asked directly what kind of pressure he felt portraying a real person in the film. According to the actor, there were multiple pressures at play when taking on the role of Oscar Grant. For one, Trayvon Martin had recently been killed before Jordan filmed Fruitvale Station. Secondly, it was Jordan’s first time playing a film lead. Finally, Jordan detailed the pressure to “get it right” when capturing a real person. Check out the full quote from Jordan below:

“At that time, it was a lot of pressure for a lot of other reasons. You know, Trayvon Martin was just killed, you know, murdered, you know, not too far before I shot that movie. And at that time I was really looking for a project to kind of express myself, you know, in a real way through my work. And Ryan Coogler, you know we had met right around that same time, so it was a project, a vehicle for me, I wanted to get a lot off my chest. But at the same time, I never was the lead, I never had to carry a film. And you know, as actors, there’s kind of a moment in your career where you’re wondering, can you open a film, can you lead a movie? So there’s a lot of that doubt and questions and kind of anxiety that I was floating around in my head. And then on top of that, to your point, it’s like, he’s a real person. He has a daughter, and a mother, and friends and family, that knew him so well. So getting their blessing, and their sign off and their approval over the performance and over the work was the biggest kind of like, you know this emotional anxiety, obstacle I had at that time. But there is a little pressure there, you know to kind of get it right. And wanting the essence of who Oscar Grant was. And wanted that to come through the character and through the movie. And a film, beautifully written and directed by Ryan Coogler, you know really gave me the space and opportunity to become that, to become him, you know as much as I could. And it really opened up a lot of doors for me.”


Why Fruitvale Station Is Such A Powerful Film

Avoiding anything too preachy, Coogler simply shows
Fruitvale Station
audiences a day in this man’s life, and his tragic death, sending an anti-violence message more powerful than any more spelled-out version could.

As Jordan alludes to, Fruitvale Station came out in a time wherein people in the United States were just starting to reckon with the horrors of police violence and injustice against Black people in the legal system. Oscar was one such victim of police violence, killed in a train station on January 1, 2009, after a minor subway altercation. Three years later, Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in July 2013. Fruitvale Station was released widely on July 26, 2013.

The film is potent not only for its timely themes — which, unfortunately, have lasting relevance — but its impeccably written script. Unfolding largely over the course of a night, Fruitvale Station is a portrait of a young father, who is a fully drawn character replete with both love and believable flaws. Avoiding anything too preachy, Coogler simply shows the audiences a day in this man’s life, and his tragic death, sending an anti-violence message more powerful than any more spelled-out version could.

Related

Just Mercy: 10 Michael B. Jordan Characters Ranked From Most Heroic To Most Villainous

Many love Michael B Jordan and the versatility he brings to the table. Let’s look at some of the most heroic and villainous roles in his career.

Fruitvale Station’s legacy is also marked by a stellar film performance from Jordan. By 2013, Jordan had already had a role in The Wire, but he was far from a household name. Fruitvale Station was an opportunity for Jordan to make a name for himself, and he seized it, flooring audiences with his subtle, heartfelt, and emotional performance. Despite Jordan being put to the test with Fruitvale Station, he passed with flying colors.

Source: The Steam Room



This story originally appeared on Screenrant

RELATED ARTICLES
- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Recent Comments