Who is Viola Davis? Michael Jordan asks key figure to play his mother’s role in movie

Michael Jordan had very specific demands for Ben Affleck when the latter came to discuss his upcoming project titled 'Air'. With Jordan demanding that Viola Davis play his mother's part, we take a look at why the legend made such a demand in the first place.

Ben Affleck's upcoming motion picture 'Air' is set to be released on April 5th. The movie follows the story of how Nike approached and courted Michael Jordan and eventually became a giant in the sports apparrell industry.

Needless to say, the process of signing off on such a story requires the go-ahead from the man himself. Thus, Affleck found himself discussing the details of the film with Jordan.

Ahead of the premiere of the film, Affleck shared some details of his meeting with MJ. While referring to him as one of the most "intimidating, impressive men you'll ever see in your life," the director also mentioned some of the demands that Jordan had.

Affleck, who himself starred as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, discussed the actors who would be cast for other roles. With stars such as Matt Damon and Chris Tucker joining the project, MJ specifically requested that Viola Davis play the role of his mother.

Viola Davis is one of the most well-renowned actresses in the business. Having been part of major projects such as 'The Help', 'How To Get Away With Murder' and many others, Jordan hoped to see the best actress play the role of his mother.

Davis has done some tremendous work and has received the awards to go with it. Given the importance of Jordan's mother, Deloris Jordan, in the film, it only seems fitting to see Davis grace the role.

Also check out: What was last shoe Michael Jordan wore as NBA player? A glimpse into MJ's final moments

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Viola Davis stars as Michael Jordan's mother in 'Air'

Ben Affleck seemed more than intent on going along with Michael Jordan's wishes regarding the casting of his mother. With an opportunity to work with Viola Davis, who Affleck considers to be the best actor he'd ever seen, the director was confident of the film as a whole.

Affleck also shared his thoughts on Jordan's request during an interview ahead of the worldwide premiere of 'Air'. He said:

"He told me about his father. And then he talked about his mother. It was the first time I saw this look cross his face. It was a look of reverence, of awe, of love, and gratitude, and innocence."

He continued:

"He said, ‘None of this would have ever happened without my mother.’ I said, ‘Who would you like to play your mom?’ He said, ‘Well, it has to be Viola Davis.'”

While Davis plays Deloris Jordan, MJ is played by Damian Delano Young.

Young is a fairly new actor with a body of work that only dates back to 2022. With only two films under his belt prior to 'Air', we look forward to seeing him perform as someone who is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time.