Turning Point: When Actors Became Superstars

We're looking at career-defining moments for Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Hudson and more.

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Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station (2013) - Whether it's box office success, critical acclaim or an unexpected hit, we can usually pinpoint the single film that turns a working actor into a bona fide star.   For Jordan, that role came in Fruitvale Station. The actor had been working for years on television (Friday Night Lights, The Wire) and in film (Chronicle, Red Tails), but his portrayal of murdered Bay Area man Oscar Grant III has Hollywood whispering Oscar nomination and fans comparing him to Will Smith.  (Photo: The Weinstein Company).
Monster's Ball (2001) - This intense drama about a racist prison guard who rethinks his beliefs after falling in love with a Black woman, who happens to be the wife of the last man he executed, unintentionally echoed the somber feeling of post-9/11 America. The film has stood the test of time as a great dramatic work and also showcases a career-making performance from Halle Berry, who won a historic Oscar for Best Actress for her role as a grieving wife and mother. Here's a look at where the key players from Monster's Ball are 13 years after the film's release.(Photo: Lionsgate)
Kevin Hart, Think Like a Man (2012) - The industry has a tendency to look at Black films and entertainment as a sub-genre not intended for the mainstream, but Hart put the industry in its place when he helped take TLAM right to the top of the box office. After his star-making turn in the film, everybody wants a piece of him.  (Photo: Sony Pictures)(Photo: New Line Cinema)

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Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station (2013) - Michael B. Jordan's life was changed with Fruitvale Station. The actor had been working for years on television (Friday Night Lights, The Wire) and in film (Chronicle, Red Tails), but his portrayal of murdered Bay Area man Oscar Grant III made him a household name. (Photo: The Weinstein Company).

Photo By Photo: The Weinstein Company

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