Michael B. Jordan’s “surprise” Best Actor win at the SAG/Actor Awards was arguably the greatest moment of the awards season. MBJ hadn’t won any of the big awards before then, and Timothee Chalamet had spent several months alienating everyone with his annoying AF campaign. Then, Viola Davis came out on stage and the whole auditorium held their collective breath. Once she saw the name on the card, she could barely contain herself. She half-shouted, “You are shining [unintelligible] Michael B. Jordan!!” Do you want to watch that moment again? It’s truly incredible. Jesse Plemons and Ethan Hawke’s pure joy at hearing MBJ’s name, Viola screaming, the spontaneous standing ovation one week after the f–king bullsh-t at the BAFTAs. Just pure theater and goosebumps:
Well, for more than a week, people have been trying to figure out what Viola actually shouted in between “You are shining” and “Michael B. Jordan.” Turns out, Viola couldn’t help but quote one of her favorite lines from her favorite August Wilson play. I’ll let her explain:
It’s far from Viola Davis’ first time becoming a meme. Yet, the EGOT winner can’t help chuckling at the exuberant way she announced “Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan as best actor winner at last weekend’s Actor Awards — and how the clip instantly went viral.
“Me and my husband [actor and producer Julius Tennon] have been laughing for two days,” Davis says.
But her choice of words when opening the envelope — “You are shining, Harold Loomis. Shining like new money” — was not accidental. To be fair, Davis only got through the first part of the quote; she drowned out the second half by screeching. (“I’m a screamer, even at soccer games,” she says. “I’m the parent running up and down the field.”)
The line comes from “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” August Wilson’s 1984 play. It’s her favorite from his “American Century Cycle,” and she made her stage debut — and secured her Actors’ Equity card — in a 1988 production of it.
“That line is constantly playing out in my mind,” Davis says, “because what it encapsulates is someone stepping into their purpose. It gives me goose bumps. And that’s how I felt about Michael B Jordan.”
And the connection runs deeper. Jordan’s “Sinners” co-star Delroy Lindo originated the role of Harold — a man who is haunted by his enslaved past, but frees himself of that specter by the play’s end. Davis dreamed that if she got to present Lindo with an award this season, she’d quote the line to him. Instead, she found herself opening the envelope for best actor and saw his co-star’s name. And with that line, “You’re shining like new money,” Davis acknowledged Jordan stepping into his power.
“Michael B Jordan is an incredible human and an incredible leader,” she says. “It’s extremely exciting what he’s going to become. Now he’s getting into directing. and he is going to bring African American filmmaking into a beautiful place.”
I feel like a proud aunt as well when I look at MBJ and his career, especially his (amazing) instinct to work over and over with Ryan Coogler. That moment at the SAG/Actors was so special because he’s already had such an epic career, and amazing things are ahead of him as well. It’s so cool that Viola was quoting August Wilson, but I do think people missed out on exactly what she was saying at that moment. I’m glad she came out to explain it! BTW, the reason she gave this interview is because she co-wrote a novel with James Patterson called Judge Stone. Apparently, she’s always wanted to be a crime/law/trial writer and Patterson gave her the chance. That’s so funny.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock/Netflix and Avalon Red.
