Michael B. Jordan opens up about a powerful lesson he learned after walking away from one of the most intense roles of his career.
Reflecting on his role as Erik Killmonger in the 2018 Marvel blockbuster Black Pantherthe actor revealed that the role stayed with him long after filming ended and eventually led him to therapy.
Talk with CBS Sunday morningJordan shared that he needed time and professional support to completely detach himself from the character.
“After the movie, it stayed with me for a while,” he said.
“I went to therapy, I talked about it, I found a way to decompress. And I think at that point I was still learning that I needed to decompress from a character.”
Jordan explained that acting can often be an isolating process, both emotionally and physically, which makes the experience even more intense.
“Acting is often a solo journey,” he added.
“Audition for yourself, practice for yourself. There’s a lot of preparation, experience and travel. So, learning as I go, I [realised] that, ‘Oh man, I still have a little something on me that I need to get rid of.’ You know, talking is really important.
THE Creed The star said the difficulty in letting go came from how deeply he immersed himself in Killmonger’s state of mind before filming began.
During preparation, Jordan isolated himself and limited communication with those close to him. This emotional distance reflected the character’s pain and anger.
“Erik didn’t really know a lot of love. I think Erik didn’t experience that,” Jordan explained.
“He had a lot of betrayals, a lot of failed systems around him that shaped him, and his anger and frustration.”
Jordan starred in Black Panther alongside the late Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke and others under the direction of Ryan Coogler.
The film became a cultural milestone and a huge success, grossing $1.34 billion worldwide following its February 2018 release.
Looking back, Jordan’s experience highlights the emotional weight actors can carry when fully committing to complex roles, as well as the importance of mental health care in helping them move forward.
