‘He’s Brought The Best Out Of Me’: Michael B. Jordan Reflects On Relationship With Denzel Washington

Published: January 20, 2023

‘He’s Brought The Best Out Of Me’: Michael B. Jordan Reflects On Relationship With Denzel Washington

By Movieguide® Contributor

Ahead of actor Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut with the upcoming CREED III, he turned to one former co-star for advice: Denzel Washington.

Jordan has always seen Washington as a role model, saying, “I would think ‘What can I take from him? What can I steal or borrow from him? What tricks or tips in the process or approach that he has can I lend to my game?’”

The pair finally got the chance to work together on 2021’s A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN, which was directed by Washington.

Jordan shared that Washington’s influence not only helped him as a first-time director but also through personal support.

“There’s also the personal knowledge that he’s given me, the times that he’s prayed for me, the time that he listened when I needed to talk, the time that he and his lovely family have been there for me,” Jordan shared. “It pushed me, and he’s brought the best out of me, in front of the camera and also in life.”

Movieguide® previously reported on how faith influence Washington’s work on A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN:

Director, actor and producer Denzel Washington didn’t hesitate when an eighth-grade girl asked him for words of wisdom.

“God is love,” Washington responded in a webinar for JOURNAL FOR JORDAN. “God is light. He shines his light and his love through us and we share His love with the world. In this time, at this time when we are spiritually on shaky ground, I believe from a spiritual perspective that God is talking to us now. He’s shut all of us up.

“He’s given us this plague if you will, and told each and every one of us to go back to our tents all around the world in an instant. And He said to us, in my humble opinion, ‘Take a look at yourself, take a look at your family, take a look at those that you love, appreciate them because God is love,” the director continued.

But the advice didn’t stop there.

“I start everything I do in prayer. We started this movie in prayer, we started the first day of shooting and prayer. God is love, and without purpose, there’s no existence, so find your purpose in your life. Whatever it is you love, whatever you’re passionate about, and you don’t have to know what it is at [14]-years old, but true desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof since beforehand to indicate that is yours already in the limitless realm of supply and demand. I always say anything good you want you can have for the taking, so pray about it.”

Washington continued to share his faith throughout the conversation, frequently citing prayer and miracles for how the movie ultimately came together, crediting “many small miracles” during the filming.

Let’s hope Jordan takes notes from both Washington’s directing style, as well as his commitment to infusing faith into his work.