Michael B. Jordan Explains Why He Originally Turned Down 'Fahrenheit 451' | Drama Actor Roundtable

"I wasn't interested in playing an authoritative figure," Jordan told THR, citing "what's going on in the world with police and my community."
"Being a black man, I didn't want to play somebody who's an oppressor," Michael B. Jordan told The Hollywood Reporter during the Drama Actor Roundtable on why he originally turned down his role in HBO's Fahrenheit 451. "I just didn't want that in my head."

Jordan plays Guy Montag in the film, which is based on Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel.

"After sitting down with the director Ramin [Bahrani] and knowing Michael Shannon was going to be a part of it — he's an incredible actor — and understanding the vision and themes and messages he wanted to send through the movie, I was like, 'Okay,'" he says, adding that the role enticed him because he got to "survive through the third act."

"I didn't want the audiences to keep seeing me die in roles," he continues. "And my mom, every time I watched her watch me die onscreen, it tore me up. I just wanted to play a role so she could see me win."

Fahrenheit 451 starring Michael B Jordan is available on HBO. The full Emmy Roundtables air every Sunday on SundanceTV beginning June 24 and on THR.com the following Monday. The full Drama Actor Roundtable, also starring Matthew Rhys, J.K. Simmons, Darren Criss, Jeff Daniels and Jason Bateman, airs Sunday, July 8 on Sundance TV. Tune in to THR.com/roundtables for more roundtables featuring talent from the year’s top shows.