Michael B. Jordan Honors the Black Film Legends That Came Before Him in His Best Actor Oscars Speech
This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.Michael B. Jordan Honors the Black Film Legends That Came Before Him in His Best Actor Oscars Speech
Bianca BetancourtMon, March 16, 2026 at 2:36 AM UTC
0
Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor at the 2026 OscarsKevin Winter - Getty Images
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
What a night to be Michael B. Jordan.
The 39-year-old actor—in one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 awards season circuit—took home the award for Best Actor at the 98th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night for his portrayal of twins, Smoke and Stack, in Ryan Coogler's southern vampire epic, Sinners. Jordan's win makes him as only the sixth Black man ever to win Best Actor at the Oscars, entering a small but mighty legion of actors before him that include Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Fox, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.
Advertisement
Jordan was visibly moved once onstage to accept his award and began his acceptance speech by thanking his parents for their sacrifices that went into building his career. He also thanked the entire cast and crew of Sinners including costars Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Hailee Steinfeld and of course his longtime collaborate and film director Ryan Coogler, who also took home the award for Best Original Screenplay earlier in the evening.
Kevin Winter - Getty Images
"I'm so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend," Jordan said onstage to Coogler in the audience.
He continued, "I stand here because of the people who came before me—Sydney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Fox, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith—to be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my gods, thank to you everyone here and everyone at home who has supported me and my career. I was only able to do this because you all bet on it — and thank you for betting on me."
You Might Also Like
Grace Jones’s Career in Photos
Michelle Pfeiffer’s Style Evolution Through the Years
Goldie Hawn’s Style Evolution Through the Years
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
