Actors certainly have lots of reasons for taking on the various roles that they do. Sometimes the part provides a particular challenge at a given point in their career. Or, it could be because the role will allow them to work with a director or actor they've admired for a long time. Maybe they just want a change of pace after doing a string of comedies or action-heavy roles or science fiction. Well, we now know of one very sweet reason Michael B. Jordan had for signing on to play a part in HBO's Fahrenheit 451. And, apparently, it had a lot to do with his mom. Here's what Jordan had to say:
I didn't want the audiences to keep seeing me die in roles. And my mom, every time I watched her watch me die onscreen, it tore me up. I just wanted to play a role so she could see me win.
Awwww. Part of the reason Michael B. Jordan took his role as Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451 is so that his mom could see one of his characters actually get to win. He admitted, in his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, that watching her as she watches his characters fail to achieve their goals, and then sometimes die in the process, has been hard on him. So, Jordan opted to tackle Fahrenheit 451, in part, so that he could actually watch a project of his with his mother without it tearing him up inside. Really, you have to admit that that's kinda sweet. I mean, who doesn't like a guy who tries to keep his mom happy, right?
While Michael B. Jordan has been acting since he was a kid, he's hardly had to pretend to die in everything he's appeared in. Though, I will admit, that most parents would probably have a hard time watching their child die, even if it were only a few times and they knew that their kid were still alright in real life. Having said that, though, we also need to make a distinction between Jordan's mom being able to watch him play a part where his character achieves his goal and wins by the end, and his character living through the final credits. It's entirely possible for a character's win to result in their death, but, either way, it sounds like Jordan felt that Fahrenheit 451 was the right next move for him, and his mom, after what Killmonger went through in Black Panther.
You can see just how pleased Michael B. Jordan's mom is with his role in Fahrenheit 451 right now on HBO. For more on what you can watch in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our summer premiere guide.
