Michael B. Jordan beats Timothée Chalamet to win best actor at Oscars 2026 for ‘Sinners’

Michael B. Jordan can update his resume to Oscar winner.

The actor, 39, looked overwhelmed when his name was called and he received a loud and rousing standing ovation as he took the stage.

Jordan thanked his mother and father, who he said had flown in from Ghana to attend the awards, along with his brother and sister.

He then went on to thank director Ryan Coogler, calling him an “amazing person,” and someone he is honored to call a collaborator.

The actor, 39, won the Best Actor award for his role in the film “Sinners,” in which he plays identical twins who return to their hometown in the Jim Crow South and confront a supernatural evil.

The movie won rave reviews, and Jordan was singled out for praise.

Jordan bested Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Wagner Moura and Ethan Hawke for the coveted statue.

Chalamet and Jordan were considered favorites, and each won awards throughout the season for their roles.

Jordan picked up two SAG-AFTRA awards, one for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role and outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, which was shared by the cast.

Chalamet, meanwhile, won the first Golden Globe of his career for playing a ping-pong hustler in “Marty Supreme.” He also picked up best actor at the Critics Choice Awards.

The “Willy Wonka” actor has made no pretense of how ambitious he is.

“I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness,” Chalamet said during his acceptance speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2025, where he won for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.”

“I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats,” he said.

During a town hall event that aired on CNN on Feb. 21, Chalamet slammed the ballet and opera world, confessing that he doesn’t “want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.”

The online reaction was swift and furious.

Retired ballet star Misty Copeland weighed in, chastising Chalamet for “comparing” his craft to other art forms.

“He wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet and their relevance in that medium,” Copeland, 43, said. “So all of these mediums have a space.”