‘Sexiest Man Alive’ talks about newest film role

He was named after his father. Michael A. Jordan was the original. He wanted his son to be the B.

“It stands for Bakari, which means promising in Swahili,” actor Michael B. Jordan says.

The name fits because since age 12 when he did a guest stint on “The Sopranos,” Jordan has been showing his onscreen promise.

Promise is one thing; pounding the pavement is another. Jordan’s mother was the one who took time off from her job as a high school counselor to haul her son to commercial auditions.

“Acting and modeling meant one major thing,” the Santa Ana, California, native says. “I got out of school early and there was free food! What more did you want at age 12?”

Calling from his house in L.A. on a Sunday morning, Jordan is decked out in a beige striped jacket and burnt orange turtleneck, clearly upholding the mantle of his recent coronation as People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

The star of films including “Fruitvale Station,” the “Creed” franchise and “Black Panther” now is a producer through his company Outlier Society, created to promote diversity in entertainment.

Jordan, 34, stars in and produced the new Amazon movie “Without Remorse,” based on a Tom Clancy bestseller. He plays John Kelly, an elite Navy SEAL trying to right some wrongs.

Review-Journal: What is an ideal Sunday for you?

Michael B. Jordan: Sleep late, work out, hang out. I do love watching anime. It’s my guilty pleasure on days off. I don’t live with my parents anymore, but we’re still close enough that I visit them all the time for the best Sunday dinners. You can’t beat one of those big home-cooked meals.

With “Without Remorse,” how do you feel about a major action film coming into homes?

You have to change with the times. I think certain films are intended to be shot and shown in a theater. Yet it’s an evolution. We’re in an evolving time. It’s a shift because of the pandemic. We’re all figuring out how to pivot. We’re all asking: “How will we get our movie out to the masses?” Luckily, we landed Amazon to house this film. It’s a healthy balance that’s coming between the two. There is something to be said to have instant access at your home versus going to the theater, too.

This is the first action movie from your production company.

I loved being involved from the absolute beginning to the very end. I like being very hands-on from the script to how you build out the stunts. Having experienced producers around me helped. The people on this have been through the process of high-stakes action movies. I followed their lead. One day it was, “OK, we’re going to do an intense plane crash.” I worked with the visual effects supervisor. The next day, it was, “OK, we need to talk about the tank for the water shots.” It was a learning curve for me. I know when to shut up and listen and learn. I was a sponge.

You have a platonic “love story” in this film.

We wanted to find that through line and balance between camaraderie or that brother-sister relationship so that the audience understood it was deep but not romantic love. We wanted it to be clear. You can love each other like, “I got your back no matter what … through thick and thin. I will look out for your best interests.” To be able to define that relationship and be respectful to the love relationship that was romantic was important, too. We wanted to honor John’s motivation throughout this movie, so we kept a close eye on those scenes.

What was the most challenging part of this role?

I’m an action junkie. These are the movies I watched as a kid and always wanted to be in one day. My imagination goes toward action. The fact that I could do my own stunts for the majority of this was fantastic and challenging.

Did the Sexiest Man Alive get banged up?

Sure, I got banged up, but it was so worth it. At the end of the takes, I’d laugh and hug everyone. I’d be hanging on that last leg and wait for the words “OK, we can move on.”

You have dramatic underwater action scenes. How long can you hold your breath underwater?

I can hold it for at least a song. … Maybe three minutes. I’d put a song on, and the whole time I was underwater. … It’s one of those things where you know your breath and breathing — and I do. This is definitely a trained thing and you have to exercise it. If you exercise that holding your breath muscle, it helps. I did underwater training for those water sequences. I hooked up with some military divers and spent time in the tanks under stressful situations.

You have so many devoted fans. Who gets your fan love?

Sidney Poitier, hands down, and Bryan Cranston. I’m a big fan of Bryan, and then I heard he’s a fan of mine. That was a thrill. And Sidney is the reason I’m here today. He opened the doors.