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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 24 June 2017
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Omari Hardwick makes power moves through Starz drama ‘Power’

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. back, and takes that posi-
Associated Press tion very seriously,” Sikora
ATLANTA (AP) — When ac- said. “I think he is very com-
tor Omari Hardwick read fortable in a position of
the script for the Starz control and that puts peo-
drama series “Power,” he ple around him at ease.”
initially wanted to pass Hardwick said his role in
on playing the lead char- “Power” helped him over-
acter. Hardwick liked the come his insecurities. He
show’s premise, but he was played football at the Uni-
satisfied at the time with versity of Georgia minoring
taking a backseat to any in drama before he even-
leading role. His wife, how- tually went on to have roles
ever, encouraged him to in BET’s “Being Mary Jane,”
go for it. ‘’Next Day Air,” ‘’For Col-
“I really had a problem with ored Girls” and Ava Du-
being the man,” Hardwick Vernay’s “Middle of No-
recently told The Associat- where.”
ed Press. “I’m past it now, He is also using his star ap-
but that was my insecurity. peal to help out black film-
I ran from that. I was cool makers. He teamed up with
with being No. 3 on the Codeblack Entertainment
call sheet or No. 2. I’m too and Gentleman Jack for
competitive to be No. 7, “The Real to Reel” short film This image released by Starz shows Omari Hardwick, center, in a scene from the original series,
but I was always cool with contest that gives African- “Power,” returning for a new season on Sunday.
being the man next to the American filmmakers the Associated Press
man. “My wife told me the opportunity to show their
only way for my platform work to industry experts. Hardwick. “I don’t think Ghost on ‘Power.’ But they working on set for ‘Power’
to get bigger is embrace “This is an opportunity for none of them would did. For me, music was a for 14 hours, it allowed me
certain things like ... the sex me to have moments of have recorded with me cathartic way to free me to pour my sanity and in-
symbol thing. I wasn’t nur- conversation to equally if it wasn’t for me playing from the nut of Ghost. After sanity into the music.”q
tured to think of myself in listen to the passion and
that way, but I embraced dreams of young filmmak-
it enough.” On “Power,” ers,” Hardwick said. “For Lionel Richie: Tour with Mariah
Hardwick plays the char- me, I went from showering
acter of James “Ghost” St. at the YMCA in L.A., eating Carey will be ‘camp city’
Patrick, a New York night- chicken sandwiches and
club owner who is trying to ramen noodles if lucky,
escape the double life of a and going from couch to be camp city,” Richie says.
drug kingpin while dating couch. I’m a real story. I “And I told her, ‘Bring all
a federal prosecutor as a know the struggle. So it was the camp with you.’”
married man. He accept- incumbent for me to pay Richie and Carey’s 22-
ed the role after meeting this forward to those who show tour launches July
with show creator Court- want to tell stories.” 21 in Oakland. Richie post-
ney Kemp Agboh, saying “Real to Reel” host Anthony poned the tour’s start in
it’s one of the best career Rose said Hardwick’s relat- February so he could fully
decisions he’s ever made. able commentary inspired recover from a knee pro-
“There aren’t a lot of peo- attendees to push forward cedure and says he now
ple out there like this guy,” in their careers. feels great.
Hardwick said of his char- “When he walks through The 68-year-old father of
acter. “He wears on me the crowd, the ladies are three — who says he’s writ-
like the heaviest mink coat screaming. But when he ing a book called ‘How to
your grandmama ever sits down and starts talk- Survive Your Children’ — is
wore. There’s a lot of Omari ing, you could hear a pin accustomed to dramat-
in Ghost and a lot of Ghost drop, because he’s drop- ics. He says his daughter
in Omari.” ping so many jewels,” Rose Nicole started her acting
“Power” has become one said. “His insight was deep career as a teenager at
of Starz’s most popular and relevant. He touched In this June 7, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Lionel Richie poses home anytime she denied
shows, averaging nearly 3 a lot of people just by be- for a portrait in Burbank, Calif., to promote his concert tour. wrongdoing. Now she’s
million viewers last season, ing real.” earning praise for her co-
according to Nielsen. The Hardwick is expected to By MIKE CIDONI LENNOX room larger than the are- medic turn in the NBC sit-
series returns for its fourth release his album “Later AP Entertainment Writer na,” but that’s no problem. com “Great News.”
season Sunday at 9 p.m. Decatur” in August fea- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lio- “I wanted her to feel in her “She has the command
EDT with what Hardwick turing Raphael Saadiq, nel Richie is welcoming full element,” Richie says. “And of what she wants to por-
calls a “very dark season. I Method Man, Fabolous, diva behavior from Mari- a diva has to do what a tray,” Richie says of his el-
was living in a jail.” Robert Glasper, Nas and ah Carey when she joins diva has to do.” dest child. “If it’s dramatic,
Joseph Sikora, who co-stars T.I. The Georgia native said his “All the Hits “ tour next The Grammy- and Oscar- boy can she be dramatic.
as Tommy, said Hardwick his wife encouraged him to month. winning singer-songwrit- And just funny. That’s a
“flourished” in the role from start recording music after Richie jokes that he ex- er says he invited Carey natural.”
the start. he finished filming the third pects Carey to bring along on tour because of her NBC’s “Great News” re-
“He definitely considers season of “Power.” a massive entourage and discography of hits and turns for its second season
himself to be the quarter- “It’s a crazy lineup,” said might need a “dressing campy vibe. “It’s going to in September.q