Michael B. Jordan shared that he sought therapy after playing the role of Black Panther villain Erik Killmonger.
The time Michael B. Jordan spent in Wakanda was far more complicated than he anticipated. The Black Panther actor, who played Erik Killmonger in the 2018 movie, disclosed that he sought therapy after realizing his role had an unsettling effect on him.
“Yes, it kind of stuck with me for a bit,” Michael, 38, stated in a January 4 interview with CBS Sunday Morning. “[I] went to therapy and talked about it, found a way to kind of just decompress. At that point, [I was] still learning that I needed to decompress from a character.”
Ultimately, the former cast member of Sinners did more than simply examine his "layered antagonist" through screenplay analysis. He said that he spent a lot of time "isolated" from his family in order to portray Killmonger's personality, and he also used method acting to prepare for the part.
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“Erik didn’t really know a lot of love. I think Erik didn’t experience that,” Michael clarified. “He had a lot of betrayal, a lot of failed systems around him that shaped him and his anger and his frustration. And looking at history and how it would seem to always repeat itself, and how was he going to break that cycle.”
Even though he perfectly captured Killmonger's complex worldview and, in the end, his relationship with Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, Michael realized after the movie's premiere that he was still thinking like his character.
“I think that spiraled into a bigger conversation and self-discovery of, ‘Okay, I think that’s something that’s necessary for people.’ Especially men,” after beginning therapy, he made a note of his ideas. “I think it’s good for them to go and talk. That’s something I’m not ashamed of at all, and very proud of.”
The Creed actor continued, “It definitely helped me [try] to be a good communicator and a well-rounded person, inside and out.”
Michael will always treasure his relationship with Chadwick and the Marvel franchise, even if he is thankful to have found himself again. In fact, last November, he received a posthumous star on the Walk of Fame in remembrance of his late co-actor, who passed away in 2020 from colon cancer.
“That was special. I couldn't have planned it any better,” Michael shared the touching celebration that month with news outlets. “Chad was a special person and for him to be honored and remembered the way he is, hearing people talk about him, makes me feel full and happy.”
