It will always be Texas forever for Michael B. Jordan and Jesse Plemons.
On March 15, 2026, after winning Best Actor at the Oscars for his role in Sinners, the actor noticed his former Friday Night Lights colleague in the audience.
After Michael finished speaking on stage with Adrien Brody at the Dolby Theater, he gestured towards Jesse, who was sitting in the front row with his wife, Kirsten Dunst, and then tapped his chest meaningfully. Jesse, the actor from Bugonia, returned the gesture with a smile while the audience applauded. (You can find photos of all the stars at the Oscars here.)
After Michael’s speech, he and Jesse shared a touching moment in Hollywood, but the true success story is their friendship. It began almost ten years ago when Michael joined the cast of Friday Night Lights and has grown strong ever since.
Playing Vince Howard, the quarterback for the Dillon Panthers, proved challenging for the Black Panther actor as the series progressed.
Michael shared that he was really nervous when he first joined the show, explaining that the rest of the cast already had a strong bond. He described feeling like the new student at school, an outsider looking in. However, he said those feelings disappeared at the first cast dinner when everyone was welcoming and made him and the other new members feel like part of the team.
Even though he was nervous, Jesse, who had played Landry Clarke from the very beginning, believed the show would only succeed if it maintained its focus on sincerity and passion – a simple formula for success, really: clear eyes and full hearts mean you can’t fail.
The original cast member explained they were glad to see Michael join the show. They felt the series needed fresh energy after the second season. In the days leading up to meeting him, they were reminiscing about all the fun they’d had together.
Winning his first Oscar was particularly special for the Black Panther star, who had a longtime friend in the audience to share the moment.
He expressed his gratitude to everyone present and those watching at home for their support throughout his career. He shared that he felt their encouragement and wanted to succeed to repay their faith in him.
He continued, expressing his gratitude for the continued support. He promised to keep improving and striving to be his best, and thanked everyone present who had contributed to his achievements.
As Michael gets ready to show off his Best Actor award, here’s a complete list of all the winners from the 2026 Oscars.
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
WINNER: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
WINNER: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku- Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Benecio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Blue Moon
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
WINNER: Sinners
Avatar: Fire and Ash
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
“Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
WINNER: “Golden” from KPop Deamon Hunters
“I Lied to You” from Sinners
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdii
“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
WINNER: Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
WINNER (Tie): The Singers
WINNER (Tie): Two People Exchanging Saliva
WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
Train Dreams
F1
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
WINNER: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Butterfly
Forevergreen
WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
WINNER: Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Arco
Elio
WINNER: Kpop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
WINNER: F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
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2026-03-16 15:18