Michael B Jordan Introduces Tessa Thompson Celebration of Black Cinema 2

Where is she at? There she go. What's up? I love you. Oh man, she's great. She's great. I get the honor to talk about two very important people in my life. One, Ryan Coogler, and the other is the phenomenal Tessa Thompson. Tessa, you spent over a decade watching me take punches to the face for a living, and you've been nothing but supportive, which is true friendship, so thank you. But here's what I think about when I think about Tessa and her incredible journey. She's been making waves since Sundance, jumping into the MCU and playing Valkyrie, the very first LGBTQ plus superhero in the Marvel universe. And through three Creed films, I've watched her build a career that refuses to compromise. Somewhere along the way, life started imitating art, and we play soulmates on screen and off screen. Tessa's been showing up for the work, for her collaborators, for what matters. Now, I'm not nearly as charming or funny or smart as Tessa, but by the grace of God, she's chosen to be my friend. You show up for everyone day in and day out, and that's what makes you who you are, and so truly, truly special. So to see you get your flowers, and for the people in this room to admire you and your work, it means everything. You are, we don't talk about you enough, and that's going to change. So tonight, we're celebrating Tessa's extraordinary performance in Head Up. Nia DaCosta's bold, modern reimagining of Isbin's classic. And if you know Tessa's work, you know this is exactly the kind of role she gravitates towards. Complex, fearless, uncompromising. Hedda Gabler is one of the most iconic feminist characters in theatrical history. A woman trapped by societal expectations, wielding the only powers she has in devastating ways. It's a role that demands everything from an actor, and Tessa, she delivers. She always delivers. What strikes me about Tessa and Hedda is how she takes this 19th century character and makes her feel urgent, immediate, dangerous. She doesn't play Hedda as a victim or a villain. She plays her as a woman on the edge, and that's what makes this performance extraordinary. You, if you have not seen this movie, please go see it. It is beautiful, it is dynamic, and she does a phenomenal job. Like, and I'm gonna go off script for a second, but knowing you for so long and the look in your eyes when I watched this movie felt alive in a way that I haven't seen before. You were having fun. You were having so much fun with this character, a conductor of sorts, spinning her web and moving the room as she saw fit, and the moments of her by herself in thought, there was a hole, there was something, there was a void she was trying to fill, and you performed that beautifully, and it was really, really awesome to see my friend up there do amazing things, so that's pretty cool. So, and having said that, watching Tessa's work with Nia DaCosta on this film, their second time working together, I see something familiar. There's a rhythm, a chemistry, there's a trust that's formed between director and actor, and when you find a collaborator who sees you, who pushes you, who believes in your vision, that's rare. That's what creates something special, and that's what Nia and Tessa has built together. These dynamics, these partnerships, they deserve more attention, because this is how great work gets made. Director-actor relationships are built on trust, vision, and a shared commitment to telling stories, and Tessa's been doing that her entire career, passing a BAFTA nomination for a performance. Westworld, six years as a character, constantly surprising us. Dear White People, Selma, Creed, she chooses work that scares her and that challenges us as an audience. What I love about tonight is that it recognizes what Tessa has always known. Black cinema isn't a genre, it's a movement. It's actors like Tessa refusing to shrink themselves to fit into Hollywood's narrow definitions. I've had the privilege of being on this journey with you, watching you grow, watching you choose bravely. You inspire me, not just as an actor, but as someone who leads with purpose. So congratulations on this Actress Award for HEDA. It's richly deserved. Thank you for showing us what fearlessness looks like, and thank you for being there for me always. The best is yet to come. I know it, because I know you. I love you, and congratulations. We're going to take a look at this clip first, so don't come up yet.