Movie Star Makes NJ Proud With Oscar Win For ‘Best Actor’

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A New Jersey native brought home a big, heartfelt win at the 98^th annual Academy Awards on Sunday.

Michael B. Jordan captured a “Best Actor” award at this year’s Oscars for his starring role in “Sinners.” Watch his acceptance speech here, or view it below.

The movie tells the story of identical twins Smoke and Stack – both played by Jordan – who return home to the South after World War I and open a blues joint. In addition to Jim Crow-era racial struggles, the brothers also encounter an unexpected horror: vampires.

Other nominees for Best Actor included Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”) and Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”).

It’s the first Oscar win for Jordan, a Newark native who also recently earned one of the entertainment industry’s most prestigious honors: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jordan has become a household name through his roles in movies such as “Creed,” “Fruitvale Station” and “Black Panther,” recently making his directorial debut with “Creed III.”

Jordan has often referenced his early life growing up in New Jersey’s largest city – which celebrated last weekend’s Oscar win along with him.

Mayor Ras Baraka said it was an “incredibly proud moment” for Newark.

“Michael’s journey shows our young people that no dream is too big and no goal is out of reach,” said Baraka, who called the win a “reminder of what’s possible when talent, hard work, and vision come together.”

“What makes us even more proud is that he has never forgotten where he came from, often returning home to give back to the community that helped shape him,” Baraka said.

Newark Public School Superintendent Roger León also applauded for Jordan.

“Before he was an Academy Award winner, Michael B. Jordan was a kid from Newark,” León said. “And tonight, he has inspired countless kids from Newark to work hard and give everything they’ve got to become all they are capable of becoming.”

During his acceptance speech, Jordan – the sixth Black man to win the Best Actor trophy – credited other esteemed thespians such as Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith for paving the way for his Oscar win.

• Related: Newark's Michael Jordan Wins NAACP Awards For 'Creed' Performance
• Related: Newark's Michael Jordan Mourns Chadwick Boseman: 'Forever Linked'

Jordan – who sparked millions of “likes” on social media when he brought his mother to the Oscars in 2019 – got a chance to celebrate his big win with his family, who were in attendance at the ceremony. This time, his father was also in the crowd, having flown in from Ghana.

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