‘All American’ Star Michael Evans Behling Once Shared What Drew Him To Jordan Baker: ‘I Relate A Lot To This Character’
On the popular CW series All American, Michael Evans Behling plays Jordan Baker. He is the son of Coach Baker (Taye Diggs) and the quarterback of the Beverly Eagles. At first, he is constantly at odds with Spencer James (Daniel Ezra). As the show progresses, they form a brotherly bond. Behling has a deep fondness for his character on the show. So, what drew the 25-year old actor to play Jordan on All American?
What drew Michael Evans Behling to the role of Jordan Baker?
All American fans couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Jordan Baker. For actor Michael Evans Behling, his personal experiences drew him to the character. In a 2018 interview with Hollywood Life, the young actor shared that the role stood out because he closely relates to Jordan. Since the character is a biracial kid living in America, that aspect attracted Behling to the part.
“The fact that I relate a lot to this character, him being a biracial kid and living in two different worlds,” he said. “Not physically, you know, because he is living this bougie life if you will, but when he comes home, he’s fighting for his dad’s approval. I’m not fighting for my dad’s approval, but sometimes back home, I’m called ‘not black’ enough, not white enough.”
Behling went on to say Jordan’s story resonated with him, despite their contrasting circumstances. “When I read the script, I was like, ‘Wow. OK. Jordan’s feeling the same way. I know how that feels. I know how to get into that.’ It stayed the same,” he added. “He’s fighting every single day for his dad’s attention, for his dad’s approval. Just for love from Dad. He is that biracial kid living in two different worlds.”
The ‘All American’ actor opened up about his biracial background
Michael Evans Behling was born in Columbus, Ohio, and was adopted by Mike and Carol Behling. He later grew up in Columbus, Indiana. Also, Behling is biracial. In a March 2020 YouTube video, the young actor shared that his father is of Nigerian descent and his mother is German. In addition, he told viewers that his last name originated from the German language.
What is next for Jordan Baker in ‘All American’?
Although fans have seen many sides to Jordan Baker, Behling would love to explore one aspect of his character. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that he would love to see Jordan’s relationship with his mother Laura (played by Monet Mazur) shown in the CW series.
“I think he’s had his moments to connect with Billy over the seasons, and it’s been great,” he explained. “Now I’d love to see him connect with Laura a little bit more, and also with that, even connect more to Crenshaw. We saw a little bit of it in season 1 and maybe even season 2, but for him to try to connect a little bit more to the other half of him would be nice to see.”
Behling shared that he would love to see that “mother-son dynamic” explored more. “But for me personally, I’d love to see him connect with Laura,” he added. “I’d love to see them have that mother-son dynamic because I know me, personally, I’m a mama’s boy, and I feel like Jordan could be a mama’s boy if he has room to play into that. I think that’d be pretty cool to see.”
All American Season 4 premieres on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
