2023 NAACP Image Awards: Michael B. Jordan Remains Humble Even in His Biggest Moment at the 51st Annual Ceremony
In 2020, Primetime Emmy Award-nominated actor Michael B. Jordan earned the title of “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” for his role as real-life lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson in the biographical legal drama Just Mercy.
The former child star beat out a slew of talented actors, including Winston Duke for Us, Daniel Kaluuya for his work on Queen & Slim, legendary actor, and comedian Eddie Murphy for Dolemite Is My Name, and the late Chadwick Boseman for his portrayal in 21 Bridges. But, even in his proudest moment, the 36-year-old Hollywood humbly thanked those around him for the prestigious award. And ahead of this year’s ceremony airing live on Saturday, February 25th, 2023, at 8:00 PM ET on BET, check out the moments from Michael B Jordan’s acceptance speech where he shared his spotlight.
Victims of an unfair justice system
Jordan began his speech by thanking those whose stories inspired Stevenson and the film. “This project is a lot bigger than myself. It’s not about me,” he explained. “It’s about every person that’s wrongfully convicted, that’s sitting in a jail cell right now, who’s been wrongfully accused, who’s been unfairly sentenced.”
Bryan Stevenson
Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy tells the real-life story of attorney Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.
In his speech, Jordan highlighted Stevenson, telling the filmmaker, “Thank you so much for the person that you are. The work that you’ve been doing. “ He added, “You’ve changed me as a person. You’ve given me a new mission and a new motivation, so I appreciate you.”
His peers
Jordan even took a moment to acknowledge his fellow nominees, stating, “I want to appreciate [sic] everybody, all the other nominees that were in the category with me.” He added, “You inspire me. You motivate me every day.”
Watch the NAACP Image Awards live on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on BET.
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