Two years later, the director would cast the actor as the title role of Creed: a new chapter in the Rocky movie saga told from the point of view of Adonis “Donnie” Creed, the illegitimate son of Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) late rival turned friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), who seeks mentorship in the ring from the aging Italian Stallion.
The Oakland, California, native, born May 23, 1986, first got heads turning in his direction in 2013 with the release of Fruitvale Station, his feature-length debut and first collaboration with Michael B. Jordan, who plays Oscar Grant, the real-life victim of a tragic 2009 Bay Area police shooting.