India, June 4 -- Fresh off the box office storm that is Sinners, Michael B. Jordan is riding high - but you wouldn't know it from his public presence. Despite starring in and producing one of the most talked-about films of the year, the 37-year-old actor remains a study in deliberate restraint, both onscreen and off. In a recent conversation, Jordan peeled back the curtain just slightly, revealing the quiet wisdom that guides his choices, especially the advice he received from a man he calls a mentor: Denzel Washington.

"Why would they pay to see you on a weekend if they see you all week for free?" Washington once told him. The line stuck - not just because of who said it, but because of what it meant. In an age of constant access and ov...