Ryan Coogler convinced me I could become a movie star, says Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan has heaped praise on Ryan Coogler, admitting that he's played an instrumental role in his success.
Ryan Coogler convinced Michael B. Jordan that he had "movie star" potential.
The 38-year-old actor has frequently worked with Ryan over the last decade, and the acclaimed director has played an important role in Michael's success.
The Hollywood star - who has worked with Ryan on a host of projects, including 'Creed', 'Black Panther' and 'Sinners' - told 'Extra': "It’s extremely important to me … I feel like, at a time, earlier in my career when I was figuring out what type of actor I wanted to be, lead actor, you know, like where do I stand in entertainment industry? Only been a part of ensembles and in this nature, never opened a movie before, never been a lead of a film before, so I was searching for that and Ryan was the first director to believe in that, and tell me I was a movie star and believed it and made me believe it, you know?"
Michael stars alongside Hailee Steinfeld in 'Sinners', the new horror movie set in the 30s in Southern United States, and the actor previously claimed that his co-star's performance shows her "in a new light".
The actor believes the project could actually prove to be a landmark in Hailee's career.
He told WhoWhatWear: "Hailee's performance in 'Sinners' is very, very versatile and honestly fun.
"I think it's gonna make people lean in and get a chance to see her in a way they haven't had an opportunity to see her in before.
"As you know, it's tough to grow up in this industry where people get a chance to see you every step of the way, and they kinda have an idea of who you are and what you can do. I think this is one of those roles that's gonna show Hailee in a new light."
Michael relished the experience of working with Hailee, admitting that they developed a family-like bond during the shoot.
He said: "She's extremely talented, an extremely hard worker, and a great scene partner.
"When you're on a project like this, in the midst of hard scenes to navigate, [and] balancing the emotional aspects and long days, you really get a chance to become a family. I'm extremely proud of her, and I can't wait for the world to see her performance, and I truly can't wait to see what she does next."
