Power Book 2: Larenz Tate & Shane Johnson Open Up About Playing Powerful, Opportunistic Men [Exclusive Interview]
The St. Patricks and the Tejadas are back!
It’s been an action-packed weekend in television, as Starz aired its season 1 finale for BMF and kicked off season 2 of Power Book II: Ghost on Sunday. The latter follows Tariq St. Patrick (played by Michael Rainey Jr.) after he murders his father but follows in his footsteps as an up-and-coming kingpin. Season 2 kicks off with Tariq resuming his life at Stansfield University after securing the Tejada family as his new suppliers in season 1. Tariq’s mother, Tasha, is hiding from family-turned-foe Tommy Egan in witness protection and Tariq’s grandmother, Big Mama, is dealing with substance abuse issues that are leaving his little sister, Yasmine, to fend for herself. On the Tejada side of things, Mary J. Blige‘s character Monet is on edge and Cane (portrayed by Woody McClain) is seeking a new alliance. Shane Johnson returns in the crooked role of attorney Cooper Saxe and he’s teamed up with equally-yoked attorney Davis MacLean, played by Method Man. Elsewhere, Larenze Tate‘s Councilman Tate is trying to swindle his way into a prestigious position of power — which is exactly what we expected. Check out a full recap of episode 1 here.
ALSO: Power Book II | Fans React As Tariq & Brayden Slowly Become Ghost & Tommy
Prior to the season 2 premiere on November 21, Global Grind spoke to Tate and Johnson about what it’s like to play such selfish, deceptive men. In the exclusive interview, they dished on being hated by fans and told us who they believe would end up on top at the end of it all.
Related Stories
-
Black Mafia Family: Which ‘BMF’ Gangster Are You? [Quiz]
-
Happy Birthday, King! Photos Of Michael Rainey Jr. Looking Like A BOSS
“We have a lot of fun playing these characters. I’m sure Shane feels the same way — the fact that we can lean into characters that are just, sort of, different from probably anything we’ve done before and sort of be able to do all those kinds of things that we can’t do in real life,” Tate said, laughing. “Without having some major consequences. It’s just a joy to be able to play such rich, multidimensional characters and that is a testament to the great work of the genius, Courtney Kemp, and the writers and producers who come on board of this fantastic story. It certainly is fun to go to work.”
Check out our full interview above and be sure to tune into Power Book II: Ghost every Sunday on Starz.
