Michael B. Jordan, whose journey in Hollywood has taken him from Friday Night Lights to starring in some of the biggest blockbusters in recent years, can now add Oscar winner to his résumé.
On Sunday (March 15), Jordan—who portrays both Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore in Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic Sinners—took home the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. With the win, he edged out several strong nominees, including Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) and Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon).
“God is good, God is good,” Jordan said at the start of his acceptance speech, also giving a shout-out to his parents and Warner Bros.
Further into the speech, Jordan applauded the studio for “betting on original ideas and original artistry,” before turning his focus to Ryan Coogler, calling him “an amazing person” as well as a longtime collaborator and friend throughout his career.
He also took a moment to recognize past Oscar winners—including Denzel Washington and Will Smith—praising them as “giants and greats” who helped pave the path for his own Sinners triumph.
“Thank you everybody in this room, and everybody at home, for supporting me in my career,” he added.
As many may remember, Sinners—also starring Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo—headed into Sunday’s ceremony with a record 16 nominations. At the time of writing, the film had already secured several wins, including Original Screenplay.
