Denzel Washington Advised Michael B. Jordan Against Overexposure on Social Media

Michael B. Jordan has opened up about memorable advice once shared with him by Denzel Washington.

The 38-year-old "Sinners" actor previously worked with Washington, who directed him in 2021's "A Journal for Jordan." At the time, the two-time Oscar winner, 70, shared that overexposure in the age of social media could hurt Jordan more than it could help.

"Why would they pay to see you on a weekend if they see you all week for free?" Jordan recalled Washington telling him in an interview with Vulture published Monday.

Jordan's recent box office performance remains strong, thanks to major hits like "Black Panther" (2018), his directorial debut "Creed III" (2023), and the more recent "Sinners," directed by Ryan Coogler, according to People. The film marks the fifth time Jordan has teamed up with Coogler, a collaboration that began with 2013's "Fruitvale Station." Jordan has often credited Coogler for being one of the first to believe in his talent as an actor.

"I was really, really, really unsure of what my career was going to be," Jordan told Vulture of the time before he and Coogler met.

"'Am I a TV actor? Where am I going?' And I was like, 'Man, I just want an independent film. I can show what I can do, and I just need to know if I could carry a film or not, if I could be a lead,'" he recalled thinking.

Upon meeting Coogler, "He told me he thought I was a movie star," Jordan said. "He thought I was a great actor, and he wanted to show the rest of the world that, and he wanted to make ["Fruitvale Station"] with me."

Jordan previously revealed that he was thinking about future projects with Washington, saying he had a few ideas for the legendary actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The comments came in an interview with Washington for IMDb, when asked by a fan whether Jordan wanted Washington in a Marvel movie.

"Yes!" he said. "No hesitation. I actually got some things in mind, but yeah!"

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