Michael Rainey Jr.
It’s a bittersweet time for Michael Rainey Jr.
He’s spent a decade inside the thrilling Power Universe, Starz’s ever-growing crime drama franchise dreamt up by executive producer 50 Cent and creator Courtney Kemp.
Now, after the epic series finale of his spinoff, “Power Book II: Ghost,” the 24-year-old actor is bidding farewell to the role that turned him into a bona fide television star: Tariq St. Patrick.
The evolution of Rainey’s career-defining part is extraordinary for those who’ve been tapped into the “Power” lore since the series first premiered in 2014. Tariq, the rebellious son of New York City kingpin James St. Patrick, aka Ghost (Omari Hardwick), was the unruly troublemaker we loved to hate. The spoiled rich kid — who Rainey initially assumed would be a minor “hi-and-bye” character on “Power” — became one of the most controversial villains on television after his deep resentment of his father’s lifestyle turned him toward a life of crime himself. Tariq earns respect in the end by murdering Ghost ― a surprising turn that also set up his “Power Book II: Ghost” redemption arc, which concluded on Oct. 4 after an explosive four-season run.
“It’s definitely a sad feeling, especially after seeing everybody’s posts, the behind-the-scenes stuff and everything,” Rainey says while reflecting on his show’s conclusion over Zoom. “It’s like, damn, it’s really coming to an end.”
Not many actors as young as Rainey can say they’ve been part of a monumental, Marvel Cinematic Universe-inspired TV franchise like “Power,” much less being tasked with leading it. In the past three years, Starz’s cultural phenomenon has launched two other shows, “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” and “Power Book IV: Force,” with another (“ Origins ”) on the way. That’s partially thanks to the success of Rainey’s “Power Book II: Ghost,” with its record-setting viewership and engaged fandom on social media .
“Being part of [the Power Universe] has been a blessing, especially because jumping into it, I didn’t really have any expectations,” the actor says. “I didn’t expect it to grow to what it is now, being that we’re three, four spinoffs in; it’s just insane. There’s not a lot of franchises that are able to create [that] off of an original show. That just goes to show how iconic [“Power”] was.”
Michael Rainey Jr.
Rainey never dreamed of being a Hollywood star as a child. The Louisville-born, Staten Island-raised actor had a rather ordinary childhood, according to him, until he was randomly discovered by a talent agent.
“I was just a normal kid. I liked sports, cars, just regular stuff. Then one day, this lady named Gina asked my mom if I was into acting or anything like that,” Rainey recalls. “Everything started from there.”
“It was crazy, ’cause I would always watch TV and be like, ‘Oh, that would be cool to be an actor,’ but I never pressed my mom about it,” he continues. “I don’t know what she saw in me, but I appreciate her. She rolled the dice.”
A flexible home-schooled education allowed Rainey to explore his entertainment pursuits early on by starring in commercials. Bit parts in an Italian music video (Tiziano Ferro’s “Il Regalo Più Grande”) and drama (2010’s “Another World”) helped him snag acting credits in “Orange Is The New Black,” “The Butler,” “Barbershop: The Next Cut” and more.
Nothing compares to his turn on “Power,” though.
Ten-plus years after his first day on set, the actor’s Season 1 memories are a bit of a blur: “I just know that I was there, observing, taking everything in.”
But Rainey will never forget the time he met his idol, 50 Cent, at the cast’s first table read — the start of a fruitful friendship.
“I give him all the credit because he’s like a mentor, a father figure to me,” the actor says of connecting with the rapper and mogul. “Not just in the business, but in life, period. He always believed in me since we started working together, as far as [his character] Kanan and Tariq having their scenes. I remember when he first told me about the [“Power Book II: Ghost”] spinoff; I’m just laughing thinking he’s trolling or whatever. I’m like, ‘Bro, what are you talking about?’”
It wasn’t until creator Kemp had a similar conversation with Rainey weeks later that the actor took his mentor’s words to heart — so much so that he enrolled in acting classes for the first time in his career.
“I wanted to take it a little bit more serious,” Rainey explains. “It was definitely stepping into being a leader of a new show [that motivated me], but then again just growing up and wanting to learn new techniques from different teachers, … becoming No. 1 [on the call sheet], I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I gotta get ready ready.’”
Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick in episode 410 of "Power Book II: Ghost."
Rainey had no idea what to expect from his “Power Book II: Ghost” journey, especially when not everyone was confident he could step up to the plate at first. “The talk started becoming bigger and bigger with certain voices in the background, but it was like, ‘Oh, we’re not sure if this would be the right thing, blah, blah,’” the actor remembers.
“I was like, ‘Damn, word? All right, I’m gonna prove them wrong then.’ But he was like, ‘Nah, don’t even worry about proving them wrong. Just prove me and yourself right. You don’t gotta worry about nothing else.’”
Rainey had his doubts about “Power Book II: Ghost,” too — mainly because he couldn’t fathom “Power” fans tuning into a Tariq-centered series when “they hated him so much.” But Kemp and the show’s writers “put together a crazy story” that gave the actor hope.
“I don’t think it’s easy to flip that around,” Rainey says, “but they made it happen. And Courtney, she’s a genius, so she knew what she was doing from the beginning when she made that decision. She sees the trajectory in a lot of people. She saw where I was going, and she believed [in me] and helped me every step of the way.”
A cast of heavyweight stars (Method Man, Mary J. Blige, Larenz Tate) also helped Rainey navigate uncharted leading-man territory.
“It meant the world to me, being that they’re such icons,” Rainey says with excitement. “It’s insane to me that they come to set, and they’re not even No. 1, but they give me that same grace that I would give them. They make sure I’m confident in the position that I’m in. That meant everything to me. Because you could work with legends, and they’ll go their furthest to make you feel like you’re smaller than them — but they did nothing but uplift me, and I’ll be forever appreciative of that.”
Rainey found another source of support in his co-star, Gianni Paolo (who plays Tariq’s literal partner-in-crime, Brayden Weston). The two first crossed paths during Season 5 of “Power,” though their friendship wasn’t immediate.
“Our first day, we barely spoke to each other,” Rainey recollects. “We said, ‘What’s up,’ said our lines, and that’s it. Then, a year after that, [Gianni] came back for the final season, and we just clicked. We were chilling every day, on and off set. Gianni is an easy dude to be cool with, so [he] just became my boy. Now, we’re cooler than ever.”
Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick and Gianni Paolo as Brayden Weston in episode 201 of "Power Book II: Ghost."
Over the years, the real-life chemistry between Rainey and Paolo fueled fans’ comparisons of their “Power” characters to Ghost and his old right-hand man, Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora). Beyond the obvious physical resemblance, it seemed as though Tariq and Brayden would follow in their predecessors’ footsteps until the final season of “Power Book II: Ghost.”
At the end of the series finale, Tariq, finally rid of all his enemies, gets right back into the drug game with Brayden by his side — except that Brayden has been demoted in their operation (after picking up a bad coke habit), instead of becoming his partner again. It’s a somewhat anti-climatic ending to the ride-or-die arc that “Power Book II: Ghost” established early on. But it shows how Tariq has accepted his foreshadowed fate: that he’s become what he always loathed, a ruthless man just like his father.
“The thing is, he’s always been Ghost from the beginning. That’s the funniest part,” Rainey quips. “He was always showing signs of him being Ghost, but towards the end, he just accepts it.”
Audiences had no clue that the fourth season of “Power Book II: Ghost” would be its last until earlier this year. Even the cast, including Rainey, was shocked to learn the news, though he’s since found some closure.
“I feel like everything has its time,” Rainey says of the spinoff’s ending. “Obviously, we could have given the fans what they wanted [with more seasons], but then again, I look at things like it’s all God’s time if something is supposed to come to an end.”
He adds, “I feel like we ended at the right time. I didn’t want it to get dragged out or anything, but then again, we could have done a lot more. There’s a few mixed emotions, but we went out with a bang.”
Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick in episode 410 of "Power Book II: Ghost."
There’s still the question of whether Rainey’s time in the Power Universe is actually up. A mid-credits scene from the “Power Book II: Ghost” finale shows a mysterious phone call between Tariq and an unknown character — who some fans think could be Tommy, a tie-in to the final season of “Power Book IV: Force.” The ending tagline, “Power never ends,” also leaves things up in the air.
Rainey doesn’t mention a slated return to the crime drama. However, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the actor — he already has his next role lined up.
This past summer, Rainey spent time in New Orleans getting “out of my comfort zone.” He’s set to star in a horror-slasher flick titled “ Goons ” with director Gerard McMurray, alongside Chloe Bailey. As he puts it, the forthcoming project marks a “clean slate” as he moves onto the next phase of his career.
“My plan is really just shopping around and being looked at in different lights, you know, trying out different roles,” Rainey says. “I’m just stepping into different things.”
The actor mentioned other endeavors with his friend/collaborator Paolo, including the return of their “The Crew Has It” podcast following a long hiatus. “We’re kind of in a weird position with it right now, but that’s how it is when you’re beginning new ventures,” Rainey says.
Now, Rainey is walking and talking like the same veterans who schooled him on the business of entertainment, and he’s focused on turning that wisdom into a promising future.
Still, he says there are aspects of “Power” that will never escape him.
“The fans, the supporters and the family that I was able to create by being part of this for such a long time — I’ll always appreciate them and hold them close.”
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