Despite their 20-year age difference, it seems Michael and Jamie are extremely close.
As a producer of his 2019 crime-drama Just Mercy, Michael B. Jordan made the decision of casting none other than his longtime friend Jamie Foxx in the movie, convinced that nobody was going to play the part of Walter McMillian as well as the 53-year-old Golden Globe winner.
After the script had been finalized and the movie was ready to enter production, Michael -- who is currently dating socialite Lori Harvey -- decided to call Jamie himself and see if he’d be available for the shoot. His biggest fear was finding out that the Ray actor would already be booked for another film, but it just so happens that he was, in fact, free.
And while Just Mercy
wasn’t breaking any records at the box office, pulling in just $50
million worldwide, critics appeared to love the film, while the
performance given by Jamie, whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, was certainly well-praised.
Jamie Foxx And Michael B. Jordan’s Friendship
Many people didn’t even know that Michael and Jamie had been friends for years prior to working together on 2019’s Just Mercy.
While their friendship had remained under the radar for a good amount of time, in a press interview to promote their movie, Michael revealed that he had known the talented actor for 10 years and that they’d frequently discuss their upcoming projects with one another.
Being a producer on Just Mercy was no easy feat for Michael, who said it took between 4-5 years to develop the script, but after all was said and done, the only person who came to his mind who could play Walter McMillian was his pal, Jamie.
“I’m not sure [when] exactly in the process. I’ve been dealing with [Just Mercy] and developing it for like 4-5 years,” he told CinemaBlend.
“I think the casting process is usually one of the last things to kind of come together, once we’ve refined the script, and get it to a good place, schedules are lined up, we start thinking about cast. But in my mind, I’ve always kind of had Jamie in the forefront. I couldn’t think of anybody else to play [Walter McMillian.] I was just hoping that he was available, and that he was gonna do it.”
The crime-drama is based on the true story of Walter McMillian, who appeals his murder conviction with the help of defense attorney Bryan Stevenson. The film is based on the memoir of the same name.
The Warner Bros-distributed flick also went on to earn Jamie a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Being close friends actually made the process of filming Just Mercy easier for Michael, who, because of his close ties with Jamie, felt he could approach him in ways that other actors may have found intimidating.
Given that they were shooting a film that’s based on a true story, there was really no room for errors — especially with Michael helming the producer title for the film.
During a New York press junket, the 34-year-old explained, “I wasn’t too worried about saying anything or doing anything that was gonna make him feel uncomfortable and vice versa. It’s like when you’re with your best friends, you can crack jokes and say harsh things because you know, there’s no love loss, and that bond is there.
“It was kind of the same thing when it comes to our work, we were able to kind of find our chemistry and balance and also having a lot of fun, you know, even with the sensitive material that we were working with.”
Aside from working on Just Mercy together, Michael and Jamie have continuously supported each other’s individual projects.
Last year, when Jamie starred in the critically-acclaimed Disney+ film Soul, he sent a message with a poster of the film to Michael via Instagram, which he captioned, writing, “It’s here!!!! Enjoy!!!.”
The message was privately sent to Michael’s Instagram account, which the latter then took a screenshot of to repost on his Story, where he added the words, “@iamjamiefoxx can’t wait to watch.”
When the pair aren’t discussing film-related projects, they’re spending time together at each other’s homes in Los Angeles, which we know by the frequent amount of times they have posted their get-togethers on social media.
So, despite their 20-year age difference, it seems Michael and Jamie are extremely close.
Elsewhere, Jamie has a string of projects lined up for the next three years, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, They Cloned Tyrone, Grooves Tails, The Burial, and the upcoming mini-series Tyson.
Comments
Post a Comment
https://saviournicodemus.blogspot.com