Exclusive: Michael B. Jordan Talks CreedPosted by Wilson Morales
November 23, 2015
Coming out this week (Nov. 25) is the Rocky spinoff film Creed, directed by Fruitvale Station’s Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone.
Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.
Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring.
With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?
For Jordan, it’s his second big film after working with Coogler on the award winning Fruitvale. Not only is this important for him as lead actor, but he’s also expanding a franchise that goes back 40 years. From playing a young drug dealer named Wallace on HBO’s “The Wire,” to quarterback Vince Howard on “Friday Night Lights” to playing the role of ‘Johnny Storm’ aka ‘The Human Torch’ in this year’s “Fantastic Four,” Jordan’s played some challenging roles.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, Jordan spoke about playing Adonis, working with Stallone, working with Coogler again and shooting in Philly, where family is close by.
Can you talk about the training you did for the film?
Michael B. Jordan: One of the best about this project is that I had the opportunity to know about this three years ago before we started shooting ‘Fruitvale’ so I secretly started getting in shape and getting into the mentality of a boxer. Then about a year, I went into a diet change with broccoli, grilled chicken and brown rice with lots of water. Just that kind of combination of a protein starch and a vegetable, weight lifting and boxing training. I probably lifted weights about four times a week and I boxed about six times a week. It was definitely a combination of both and being consistent.
Have you seen all of the Rocky films and was there any hesitation when Ryan brought this up to you?
MBJ: Before Ryan brought this up to me, I hadn’t seen all of the film. I had seen Rocky 1, 2, and 4. I missed the one with Mr. T as Clubber Lang. but I have seen it since. At the time when Ryan told me about the project, I just said “Cool.” It was really that simple. He wouldn’t try to do a movie that’s not good and he wouldn’t pitch anything to me that he didn’t think I would love. Me and him have created such a shorthand that he can call me up and I would be like, “Ok. Let’s do it.”
When it comes to projects about sports, you’ve done Baseball with Hardball on the big screen, football with Friday Night Lights on television, and now you’re tackling the boxing world . Can you talk about meeting Stallone and carrying the torch he started with his films?
MJB: I think it’s something I didn’t think about often. I think that was very important because I didn’t let it overwhelm me. I met Sly the first time in his office and we talked about boxing, and he immediately got up and started showing me how to throw punches. I was like, “Old man still got a bite.” A lot of that allowed me to get to know him as Sly and not as Rocky and separate the two. I definitely a fan of his and his work ethic, but also, once we started filming, he gave me so much advice and took the pressure off of me and let me do my thing and not live up to what he did. That wasn’t what I was trying to do.
What’s the difference in Ryan’s filmmaking from Fruitvale to Creed?
MBJ: He’s grown so much. I think the foresight is when you can see things coming before they happen so you can prepare for them and our shorthand communication is pretty cool. I can do a take and think about one thing or an adjustment I wanted to do and he would come over and get what I wanted after a brief explanation. Our chemistry is stronger since Fruitvale, which is cool.
Can you talk how the writing makes it authentic and not forced?
MBJ: I think that’s Ryan’s thing. Everything comes from a real place when’s he writing or when he’s creating. It’s not cheesy or made up. Although the characters are fictional, the intentions and emotions are real and that’s why people can relate to them, no matter what color they are. It’s not about that. It’s about the feelings you have when you watch things. It’s also a testament to the actors as well. Tessa is an incredible actress. Sly is an incredible actor. I got a chance to work with Phylicia Rashad, who’s an incredible actress. It’s hard to find false notes in there. With me being able to work with them, they made it an enjoyable experience.
Speaking of talent, how was reconnecting with your former colleague from The Wire, Wood Harris, on the screen?
MJB: It was just cool to cross paths again in different places in our lives, and in different places in our career and be able to connect and stuff like that. It’s incredible because it usually doesn’t happen that often, or not my in life or experience so far. When you start to work with actors over and over again in different films, it’s cool.
You were raised in New Jersey, so how was it filming in Philly and being close to home?
MJB: It was like going home. My sister went to Temple University and I have always spent time here. One of my best friends went to Temple so I always came to visit him. My mom went to art school when she graduated. I have a lot of family roots around this city so it was super easy coming back here.
Prior to the premiere, had you met Carl Weathers before?
MJB: Yes. I had met him at a charity event in LA that I support for my mom and he was there at the event and literally met him in passing and spoke for a couple of seconds and that was it.
According to what I read, you and Ryan are slated to do “Wrong Answer,” right?
MJB: Yes. For sure. We’re definitely doing that project and are super excited about it. I can’t wait to do that. I also have Just Mercy with Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed “Short Term 12.” It’s the story of civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson from Alabama, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. I’m looking forward to playing Bryan.
