Thursday, March 28, 2024

LIVING LIFE ‘WITHOUT REMORSE’

Michael B. Jordan and Lauren London join forces in a new thriller.

Michael B. Jordan is doing it all. 

He produces and stars in the new movie “Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse,” and is highly-regarded as an industry leader bringing social change to Hollywood through art and philanthropy. The critically-acclaimed actor was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020, People’s 2020 Sexiest Man Alive, and one of the New York Times’ 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. Soon, he’ll produce and star in the Denzel Washington-directed feature “A Journal for Jordan.” 

In “Without Remorse,” Jordan stars as John Kelly, an elite Navy Seal who uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife, Pam (Lauren London). 

“When Mike reached out to me for the role of Pam, I was honest with him and said I couldn’t play anything I didn’t believe in,” London says, “But when I read the script, I felt like I could bring something to the table in terms of Pam’s strength. She’s made so many sacrifices for her husband and her family, I felt I could relate to her on that level.” 

London describes Pam and John Kelly as high school sweethearts and best friends in marriage. “Pam acts like a mirror to John, showing him who he really is. She’s the most honest person in his life, but she’s in a vulnerable spot at the beginning of the film. Mike’s character in the film hasn’t really opened up to her because there are things he’s done that he doesn’t want his wife to know about. He doesn’t want to ruin her image of him. After all, when you’ve been in combat, you sometimes end up blocking yourself off from the people you most care about,” says London. 

London is a Los Angeles native whose career skyrocketed after starring in the film “ATL.” Since then she has appeared in a number of feature films and television series, including the movies “This Christmas,” “Next Day Air,” Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “Baggage Claim” and “Perfect Match.” In 2019 London starred in the BET series “Games People Play,” which is currently in production on Season 2. She can soon be seen in the Netflix miniseries “True Story,” alongside Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes. 

Jordan says John and Pam have a more complex relationship than it seems on the surface. “Because of my character’s military experiences, the communication that once existed between them has started to vanish a little bit when we first meet them in the film,” he said. “We learn that John is keeping secrets from his wife Pam because he assumes she might look at him differently if she knew everything about him.” 

The admiration Jordan feels for the men and women who’ve served their country with honor is evident when discussing “Without Remorse.” 

“My dad was a Marine and Marines put themselves on the line and sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy — so that’s why capturing a sense of authenticity in this role was so important to me,” said Jordan. “I really wanted to offer an honest depiction of what these men and women go through, and I put the time in on this project because I want the people who actually live this type of life to know that I take what they do seriously and have respect for them.” 

The more Jordan dug beneath the surface, the more he discovered how much he related to his character. “John Kelly has a big heart and he’ll do anything for his friends, and that’s how I feel as well,” says Jordan. “Also, once he sets his mind to something, he’s determined to work at whatever it is until he accomplishes his mission, which describes me too.” 

Kelly is a man who initially believes in the system of military hierarchy — so much so, that he thinks of himself as an extension of his country. But when he discovers he’s been betrayed by his superiors, the elite warrior finds himself ill-equipped to handle it emotionally. 

“In his mind, he doesn’t have anything left to live for. Everything he cared about is gone, so it sends him down a very dark path,” says Jordan. “Unfortunately for the people who did this to him, they picked the wrong guy to mess with. He’s going to fill the empty hole within himself with as many bodies and as much chaos as he can.”

Michael B. Jordan stars in WITHOUT REMORSE
Photo: Nadja Klier © 2020 Paramount Pictures

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