Movies

Michael B. Jordan reveals the film that affected him so much that he went to therapy: “to decompress from a character”

The actor from ‘Black Panther’ and ‘The Sinners’ got so deeply into a role that he later had a terrible time shaking off its influence.

Miguel Varela

Update: Jan 5th, 2026 17:46 CET

There are times when a movie character can change your life, and that’s exactly what happened to Michael B. Jordan when he stepped into the shoes of Killmonger. In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the actor from The Sinner and Creed revealed that he needed to go to therapy after playing the antagonist in Black Panther, as he felt he needed to “decompress from a character.”

Jordan said that, some time after filming the movie, he felt that Killmonger was still very present within him. So he turned to a psychologist to talk about it in depth, and thanks to those sessions, he finally found a way to disconnect completely. “I was still learning that I needed to decompress from a character,” he explained. “Acting is a solo journey a lot of times. There’s a lot of auditioning by yourself, practicing by yourself. There’s a lot of preparation and the experience, the journey. So learning as I went, I [realized] that, ‘Oh man, I still got a little something on me that I need to get off.’ You know, talking is really important.”

Michael B. Jordan reveals the film that affected him so much that he went to therapy: “to decompress from a character”

Michael B. Jordan truly became Killmonger, and it took its toll on him

With these statements, it is clear that Michael B. Jordan immersed himself in the role before filming began. Erik Killmonger is a truly gray character who never knew love, but grew up surrounded by betrayal and failed systems that turned him into a person full of rage and frustration. The actor connected deeply with the character, and as he said in the interview, this caused him to isolate himself from the world and not talk much with his own family while preparing for Black Panther.

With this confession, Michael B. Jordan also took the opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health. He himself was unable to separate himself from one of his roles, which affected him greatly on a personal level. Fortunately, with the help of a professional, he was able to say goodbye to Killmonger and continue with his wonderful life, in which he enjoys bringing incredible characters to life in all kinds of films.