Michael B Jordan: Same quote, a different way

Most of us probably agree that the September 2026 issue of American Vogue was a flop, right? The cover stars were Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere to promote The Shards – and this isn’t a personal criticism, not directed towards their performances, not a judgement about them as actors or celebrities or models just that, well, for a September issue the image was forgettable, more Cosmo than Vogue, and lacking in general overall excitement and charisma, possibly because neither one of them is top star level.

American Vogue had a banger in the pipeline though, a cover star who easily could have ruled the September issue – none other than Michael B Jordan, reigning Best Actor Oscar winner, one-time Sexiest Man Alive, the actor many elders in his community call the Sidney Poitier of his generation. Like it’s not something some rando on TikTok is declaring hyperbolically, this is coming out of Octavia Spencer’s mouth, so she’s not throwing that around lightly.

But they were banking MBJ for October, because of Vogue World Milan, which is happening next week. Vogue World is Anna Wintour’s pet project, her attempt to create another Met Gala level annual event – it hasn’t been entirely a bust, though I’m not sure it’s made the pop culture impact she’s been hoping for. Vogue has confirmed that MBJ will attend and he’s one of two Vogue World cover stories for American Vogue, along with Mikey Madison. The fact that he’s covering Vogue is obviously a gift for both the audience and for the magazine itself… all I’m saying is that, you know, had it not been for Anna’s push for Vogue World, editorially I feel like he would have been a no-brainer decision for September.

As for the interview… MBJ isn’t one to give away too much, and it’s been like this over the last few years. When he needs to show up, he will show up, and he will be gorgeous and dazzling with that smile and all the aura that no one could ever deliberately farm but he does not live his life or manage his career by the algorithm.

Right now he’s in post for The Thomas Crown Affair, opening next March, trying to get most of it done before he begins filming Miami Vice ’85, after which, presumably, he’ll move right into heavy promotion for Thomas Crown and then, as he reveals in Vogue, he will finally take a break. So no real major takeaways except for one quote that, because it’s written and you can’t hear it, but also because it’s HIM, kinda made me laugh. I’ll explain on the other side.

“At one point I asked him to imagine what might have happened if he had never graduated to movie stardom—could he have been satisfied with life as a working actor? It seemed like a simple question, but he paused for a long time and then laughed, shaking his head, and said quietly, “I don’t know. My competitiveness—I don’t know.” He talked about his years on television, and about the inspiration he drew from Denzel Washington, and eventually he landed upon an answer. Michael B. Jordan, character actor? “I don’t think so. Whatever I wanted to do in life, I wanted to be competitive at, and I wanted to be mentioned amongst the greats.”

You know who else said this? On a huge stage, with an award in his hand, voted upon by the Hollywood acting community? Timothée Chalamet, LOL. The same actor who was nominated alongside MBJ earlier this year for best actor. Timmy said it the year before, at the SAG Awards for playing Bob Dylan, to much debate afterwards about whether or not he was too far up his own ass – after which he spent the next year doubling down on it with Marty Supreme, becoming the internet’s most hated nominee.

But they’re basically sharing the same idea. Timmy’s ambitions are grand, he wants to be on the biggest screens in the biggest roles. And that’s what MBJ is saying too – he would not have wanted to be a working actor, going from character to character. MBJ seeks the brightest spotlight, the most high-profile roles, in the mainstream. “Competitiveness” is just a different way of saying “ego”. This is not the first time he has expressed it, but chooses better times to say it, better settings to say it in. Bonus, he is fine as F-CK.

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One more note about this Vogue cover story – there’s a companion video, kinda like an updated 73 Questions, and I want to talk about the pants he’s wearing in this shoot because they are very, very much on trend. Issey Miyake, unmistakably, with the pleats. Technically they are “trousers” but the beauty of these pants is that they are distinctive enough to wear out for dinner or work… but they also wear like joggers.

My colleague Tyrone Edwards, ETALK anchor, has been rocking them all through TIFF. I am jealous every time I see him, because he looks so comfortable and so stylish, I wish I could do the same. But these pants, on women who are shorter, don’t have the same effect. You need length for the pleats to be able to toggle between a dressier vibe and a really cool casual energy. My husband would look amazing in these. It is my weekend project to convince him to buy a pair. It’s the Issey Miyake Homme Plissé (this is an affiliate link) - I think what might sell it for him is the elastic waistband.

Click here for more of MBJ in Vogue.