Who plays Michael Jordan in the film AIR?

Last Updated on 04/10/2023 by てんしょく飯

Who plays Michael Jordan, the ‘basketball god’ in the film AIR?

Does Michael Jordan appear in AIR?

The film AIR tells the story of the birth of NIKE’s legendary Air Jordan shoe. Key to the story is former NBA player Michael Jordan, the model for the Air Jordan, but does Michael appear in the film?　The answer is yes. So who plays Michael, the “basketball god”?

According to Screen Rant, Michael is played by Damian Young, who is making his first major film appearance. Damian has appeared in the indie film Strictly for the Streets Vol. 2 and the short film Prom Night Flex, as well as in a Budweiser commercial that aired during this year’s Super Bowl.

However, she only appears in the background in AIR, and her face is never shown. There is a good reason for that, says Ben Affleck, who played Nike founder Phil Knight.

Why Michael Jordan’s face is not shown in AIR

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Affleck, who also directed AIR, explains why Michael Jordan’s face is not shown.

‘Jordan is too great. He’s always present in the story. Even if you embodied him and said, ‘I’m Michael Jordan’, it’s obvious that it’s not him. It’s a clear imposter. I thought it would be more effective if the audience projected their thoughts and memories of him, what he was to them, onto the film.”

Ben also spoke to Michael when he was making AIR: “I had the opportunity to talk to Michael Jordan. I wasn’t going to make this film without asking him, ‘What’s important to you?'” he revealed at South by Southwest (SXSW), the world’s largest combined event held in March.

Incidentally, those who want to see Damian’s face, which will never be seen in the film, can check his mugshot on the film and drama information website IMDb.