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  3. 19 Reasons to Love Michael B. Jordan, PEOPLE's 2020 Sexiest Man Alive
Sexiest Man Alive

19 Reasons to Love Michael B. Jordan, PEOPLE's 2020 Sexiest Man Alive

He loves his mom, anime, and snacks of all kinds - and those are just a few of the reasons we love him

By Sophie Dodd November 17, 2020 11:58 PM
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He's a Mama's Boy

michael-b-jordan-mom
Credit: Michael B Jordan/instagram

Jordan is so close with his parents, he lived with them until recently - which he joked had its pros (home-cooked meals) and cons (awkward naked run-ins).

Even after moving out, he took his mom Donna as his plus-one to the Oscars in 2019. "My mama about to make me have to fight somebody she looking so pretty. ❤️❤️❤️ #Oscars2019 #PopsIGotYou #DateNight," he sweetly captioned a photo of the duo glammed up on Instagram. Jordan isn't shy about his love for his mom, often posting about his love and appreciation for her on social media. 

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And He's a Big Supporter of All the Women in His Life

Need a pick-me-up? Jordan's description of women should do the trick. "Strength, Grace, Humility, Intelligent, Majestic are just a few of the words I would use to describe the women in my life and others I've encountered throughout my years," Jordan captioned a photo tribute to his mom and sister Jamila on Instagram. "Much Love, Respect and Support to ALL women around the world 🌎#InternationalWomensDay."

He also puts his money where his mouth is, being one of the first stars to commit to an inclusion rider, which mandates a certain amount of gender and racial diversity on film sets.

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He Shows Love to His Fans

michael-b-jordan-surprises-fan
Credit: Michael B. Jordan/Instagram

Jordan knows how to treat his fans, whether it's offering to buy them a new retainer (just trust us, you need to read that story) or surprising them in person. After super-fan Audeva Agyeman took a life-size cutout of him to prom as her date in 2018, he surprised her by inviting her to the set of Creed 2 and sneaking up behind her. 

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He Knows How to Accessorize

Michael B. Jordan/Instagram
Credit: Michael B. Jordan/Instagram

He looks drop-dead gorgeous in a scarf. What, is that not reason enough? 

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He Values Democracy

He joined the roster of celebrities helping to get out the vote ahead of this year's election — with a little help from this genre-defining thirst trap. 

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He Likes to Try New Things

If this extremely earnest video of his first time fishing isn't enough to make you fall for him, I don't know what is. 

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He Holds Up His End of a Bet — No Matter What

While we loved the faux flirtation between MBJ and Black Panther costar Lupita Nyong'o, nothing compared to when she made him drop and give her, uh, one, in the middle of the Calvin Klein show during New York Fashion Week after he lost a bet to her. (And no, the terms of that bet were never revealed  - Jordan told Jimmy Fallon, "[I] can't talk about that specific bet that I lost, because it's too embarrassing.")

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He Loves Anime

michael b jordan
Credit: POPSUGAR/YOUTUBE

The actor hilariously revealed his guilty pleasure is "anime" — before hastily changing it to "women" during a 2014 Popsugar interview with That Awkward Moment costars Zac Efron and Miles Teller. He often discusses his obsession with Japanese animation on Twitter, occasionally in defense of the depth of his appreciation: when a fan called him out for dropping mainstream anime references, he replied, "that was a softball for the anime uneducated" along with a nerd-face emoji. 

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He's Obsessed with Snacks

And we're obsessed with him! Jordan waxes poetic about his love of snacks in a delightful video on Instagram titled "Snacks Are My Love Language," where we see him trying to sneak candy into his 2019 Met Gala look, hear the sweet incantation of his lunch order and more.

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Let the Snack Have His Snacks, Okay?

A notable snack preference that deserves its own slide: MBJ's love of honey on pizza. That sweet and savory combo — call it a hot take, call it delicious, call me maybe, MBJ?

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He's Basically the Prom King of Hollywood

What do you get when you put Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Drake, Teyana Taylor, Tyga, Zendaya and more A-list pals in the same room? Michael B. Jordan's birthday party. The Just Mercy star has a long list of famous friends, and we love him for staying down-to-earth through his rise to fame. 

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He Supports His Community

The Newark, New Jersey native is big on giving back, particularly to the community where he grew up. "Man nothing makes me happier than giving back whether it be my time, talent, or treasure," he said on Instagram in January 2019, sharing photos from a visit to a high school in his hometown where he partnered with The Future Project and Coach to help inspire the students. "These kids are some of the most talented & brightest and that keeps me enthused about the future. Keep Dreaming," he wrote. 

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His Bond with Chadwick Boseman

Jordan has paid tribute to his late friend and Black Panther costar Chadwick Boseman several times on social media, including with this throwback interview. In the clip from the dynamic duo's 2018 appearance on Kerrang! Radio, the pair are challenged by host Sophie K. to play The Compliments Game (you compliment each other with a straight face, and the first person to laugh loses). In the end, neither of them are able to contain their giggles as the other tries to say something kind.

"It's the laugh for me," Jordan captioned the video after Boseman's passing. 

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He Builds Activism Into Everything

The star is a vocal supporter of many important causes, from Black Lives Matter to World Central Kitchen, and through his Outlier Society Fellowship, partners with corporations to help provide services to underserved communities (check out his LyftUp partnership, which offers free rides to job interviews and other employment-related opportunities to people of color). 

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He Plays Games (Just Not with Our Hearts)

We stan an intellectual king - and also appreciate an honest one: He says his dad trounced him in this game.

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The Man Looks Good in a Suit

"Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala
Credit: John Shearer/Getty

And he rarely bores us in a basic black tux. (No wonder Coach signed him on as a spokesperson.)

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He'll Go to Any Lengths for a Role

Michael B. Jordan- SMA SWEATERS
Credit: Getty

His whole "73 Questions" video for Vogue is worth a watch, but primarily because he is on record pointing out that he's open to stripping down for the right part: "Of course! No body double!" he joked.

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He Did Wonders for Sherpa Jean Jackets

Erik Killmonger Black Panther
Credit: Marvel

We saw Erik Killmonger wearing a sherpa jean jacket, so we made our boyfriends buy sherpa jean jackets.

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This Smile

34th Santa Barbara International Film Festival - Cinema Vanguard Award Presented by Belvedere Vodka Honoring Michael B. Jordan
Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty

This is also reasons 20-100.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 19 He's a Mama's Boy
    2 of 19 And He's a Big Supporter of All the Women in His Life
    3 of 19 He Shows Love to His Fans
    4 of 19 He Knows How to Accessorize
    5 of 19 He Values Democracy
    6 of 19 He Likes to Try New Things
    7 of 19 He Holds Up His End of a Bet — No Matter What
    8 of 19 He Loves Anime
    9 of 19 He's Obsessed with Snacks
    10 of 19 Let the Snack Have His Snacks, Okay?
    11 of 19 He's Basically the Prom King of Hollywood
    12 of 19 He Supports His Community
    13 of 19 His Bond with Chadwick Boseman
    14 of 19 He Builds Activism Into Everything
    15 of 19 He Plays Games (Just Not with Our Hearts)
    16 of 19 The Man Looks Good in a Suit
    17 of 19 He'll Go to Any Lengths for a Role
    18 of 19 He Did Wonders for Sherpa Jean Jackets
    19 of 19 This Smile

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    19 Reasons to Love Michael B. Jordan, PEOPLE's 2020 Sexiest Man Alive
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