--- description: Find out why Michael B. Jordan is one of the 100 most influential people of 2020. title: Michael B. Jordan: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05d1a30f4e85c47/698a125622fb85cc85e2b6d4/time-100-Michael-B-Jordan.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 22, 2020 # Michael B. Jordan by Denzel Washington  Michael B. Jordan Michael B. JordanMickalene Thomas for TIME I remember watching [_Fruitvale Station_](https://time.com/4128234/creed-director-ryan-coogler-michael-b-jordan/ "undefined") and thinking, “Who is this kid?” [Michael B. Jordan](https://time.com/5667958/michael-b-jordan-just-mercy/ "undefined") just has a presence—and an energy and a talent—that stands out. It’s refreshing. What I’ve learned about him in the short time I’ve known him has led me to admire his work ethic, his intensity and his desire for excellence. He’s a go-getter, from the roles he chooses—including his powerful portrayal of civil rights attorney [Bryan Stevenson in 2019’s _Just Mercy_](https://time.com/5783965/bryan-stevenson-criminal-justice-reform/ "undefined")—to the way he uses his production company, Outlier Society, to push the cause of [representation in Hollywood forward](https://time.com/5179369/eva-longoria-representation-in-hollywood/ "undefined"). He already is a force in front of the camera, but he’s going to be an even bigger force behind the scenes. When it comes to Michael, we should expect the unexpected. I’m happy to be a small part of his journey, and I can’t wait to see how it’s going to turn out. He’s the next generation, and it’s good to know we’re in good hands. _Washington is a Tony- and Academy Award-winning actor_ Michael B. Jordan Is on the 2020 TIME 100 List ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888487/michael-b-jordan/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888487/michael-b-jordan/"},"headline":"Michael B. Jordan","datePublished":"2020-09-22T19:45:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-21T07:22:37.518Z","description":"Find out why the \"Just Mercy\" and \"Black Panther\" star is one of the most influential people of 2020, according to Denzel Washington.","url":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888487/michael-b-jordan/","keywords":["TIME 100","T100 2020","T100 2020 Artists"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05d1a30f4e85c47/698a125622fb85cc85e2b6d4/time-100-Michael-B-Jordan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05d1a30f4e85c47/698a125622fb85cc85e2b6d4/time-100-Michael-B-Jordan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888487/michael-b-jordan/","name":"Michael B. Jordan"}}]}] ```