Michael B. Jordan leaned on subtle physical cues, including different-sized footwear, to distinguish between the twin brothers he masterfully portrayed in the hit vampire thriller Sinners, per allhiphop.com.
In a deep dive into his method acting for the critically acclaimed film, Michael B. Jordan revealed how he used something as simple as shoe size to help physically define the dual roles of brothers Smoke and Stack. Sinners, a Mississippi-set thriller, has already garnered significant awards buzz since its debut in April.
Speaking during the BAFTA Playback series, the Creed star explained his approach to embodying the siblings who return to their Southern roots to open a juke joint, which subsequently attracts the attention of bloodthirsty locals.
Jordan detailed the physical difference he sought to create: “I wore bigger shoes for Smoke, because he didn’t really move around too much. He was, you know, I had him be grounded,” Jordan said. “I had smaller shoes for Stack, because he was never sitting in one place. So, he always felt like he had to move and kind of be lighter on his feet.”
He noted that these subtle choices profoundly impacted the characters’ overall physicality. “Just little things like that added to, you know, how they held their body when they rest, their face, the cadence in their speech,” he added.
The actor, known for his frequent collaborations with director Ryan Coogler on films like Black Panther and Fruitvale Station, explained that he focused on shaping the twins “from the inside out,” prioritising their emotional backstory and trauma.
Despite the film’s vampire element, Jordan consciously avoided drawing inspiration from other vampire films while preparing for the roles.
“Honestly, [I had] no real inspirations when it came to what kind of vampire I was going to be,” he stated. “[I] really wanted to be very specific to the world [that] we were creating down there and tried really hard not to watch too many other things to influence what we were trying to make.”
Sinners has proven to be both a critical and commercial success, following its successful release earlier this year. The film is widely anticipated to be a strong contender throughout the upcoming awards season. Jordan’s comments were shared as part of BAFTA Playback, a video series reflecting on pivotal moments in actors’ careers.
