Michael B Jordan Remembers Childhood Encounter With Tony Bennett
Michael B Jordan shares memories of meeting Tony Bennett as a child during a 1998 album cover shoot, reflecting on the experience and his ongoing connection to music and Bennett’s enduring influence.
With his first Golden Globe nomination for the electrifying vampire thriller Sinners , Michael B Jordan’s star continues to rise. Already a household name thanks to blockbuster hits like the Creed series and Marvel ’s Black Panther, Jordan’s dual role as twin brothers in Sinners—helmed by longtime collaborator Ryan Coogler—has taken his career to new heights. An Oscar nod seems almost inevitable, though this year’s competition is fierce, with standout performances from Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another, Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams, and Jesse Plemons in Bugonia . Still, Jordan seems unfazed by the awards race, staying focused on a packed slate of upcoming projects both in front of and behind the camera.
From Acting to Directing: Jordan’s Expanding Horizons
Jordan recently directed the latest chapter in the Creed saga and is already gearing up for a fourth installment. He’s also set to star in and direct a new take on the classic Steve McQueen heist film The Thomas Crown Affair. On top of that, he’ll appear in Rainbow Six, his second film based on Tom Clancy’s novels after 2021’s Without Remorse. While promoting that movie, Jordan opened up about his move from the East Coast to the West and shared a unique childhood memory involving legendary singer Tony Bennett.
A Childhood Memory With a Jazz Legend
Back in 1998, when Jordan was just 11, Bennett visited New York to shoot the cover for The Playground, an album of children’s songs. The cover features Bennett smiling with a group of kids playing behind him—one of whom was a young Michael B Jordan. Reflecting on the experience, Jordan recalled,
“I was 11 years old, so I didn’t know much about him. But I remember him being very nice. He signed autographs for everybody and everything. It was cool.”
Ties to Music and Bennett’s Lasting Legacy
Though Bennett was born in New York City and performed extensively in New Jersey clubs during the 1940s, he’s best known for the classic “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and spent years performing in Las Vegas. Over the 1950s and 1960s, he achieved worldwide fame, selling more than 50 million albums. His final release, a 2021 duet collection with Lady Gaga, capped a legendary career before his passing at 96 two years later.
Music has always played a big role in Jordan’s life, especially in Sinners. He’s shared videos of himself singing R&B on social media and appeared in music videos for artists like Snoh Alegra. For Without Remorse, he curated a Spotify playlist to get into character for action scenes. Jordan’s upcoming projects include Methuselah, an action film directed by Danny Boyle about a man who’s lived for a thousand years and mastered advanced combat skills.