Fresh off the box office storm that is Sinners, Michael B. Jordan is riding high — but you wouldn’t know it from his public presence. Despite starring in and producing one of the most talked-about films of the year, the 37-year-old actor remains a study in deliberate restraint, both onscreen and off. In a recent conversation, Jordan peeled back the curtain just slightly, revealing the quiet wisdom that guides his choices, especially the advice he received from a man he calls a mentor: Denzel Washington.
“Why would they pay to see you on a weekend if they see you all week for free?” Washington once told him. The line stuck — not just because of who said it, but because of what it meant. In an age of constant access and oversharing, Jordan has chosen a different path: one of mystery and intention.
Jordan’s guardedness isn’t new — it’s calculated. While many stars embrace a kind of curated vulnerability on social media, Jordan has long resisted the lure of constant visibility. He has no presence on X or TikTok, and though he does maintain an Instagram account with a staggering 25 million followers, his posts are few and far between, usually tied to film releases or professional milestones. He describes himself as “a thoughtful person and a well-intended person”. And part of being thoughtful, to him, is knowing when to speak — and perhaps more crucially, when not to.
His dating life, too, is a closed door most reporters never get near. Aside from his confirmed relationship with Lori Harvey from 2020 to 2022, rumours have swirled, but nothing solid has ever made its way into the public domain. When asked why he went public with Harvey at all, his response is blunt and telling: “There was no real thought behind [it]. At that moment, I was like, Ah, fu*k it, whatever.”
Learning from legends
Jordan’s relationship with Denzel Washington goes beyond mentorship. The two worked closely together on the 2021 romantic drama A Journal for Jordan, which Washington directed. That experience solidified a dynamic of mutual respect, and it’s clear that Washington’s philosophy — measured, intentional, private — has shaped Jordan’s own. In an industry obsessed with access and immediacy, Jordan offers mystique. And in the end, that may be what keeps audiences coming back — not because he’s everywhere, but because he’s not.
About Sinners
Set in the racially charged 1930s Jim Crow South, the Southern Gothic vampire thriller sees Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown only to find themselves facing an ancient, blood-soaked evil. Directed, written, and produced by long-time collaborator Ryan Coogler, the film has struck a cultural and commercial nerve.
