Exclusive: Omari Hardwick and Lela Loren Talk ‘Power’ Season 5 [Video]

‘Power’ returns to STARZ for its fifth season on July 1st.

We had the pleasure to sit down with the stars of the hit show Power, Omari Hardwick and Lela Loren. Power returns for its fifth season on July 1st and is looking more eventful than ever before.

Throughout the show, Hardwick and Loren portrayed each others’ love interests, while also standing on the opposite sides of the law; him, a drug kingpin and her, a U.S. Attorney. In season five, we will dive into the adventures of people struck with tragedy, and stuck in a constant conflict with themselves and others.

We had a chance to speak with both actors about some of the challenges they encountered in season five, as well as what fans can expect to see in coming weeks.

The Knockturnal: Hi, Congratulations on season five.

Omari Hardwick: Thank you so much, very humbled.

The Knockturnal: There’s so much happening in season five with Ghost and his relationships with Tasha, with Tommy, then his chase after.

Omari Hardwick: All of his relationships (laughter)

The Knockturnal: Everything is just going up in flames, almost. Can you tell me what was the most challenging part for you to portray in season five?

Omari Hardwick: That’s a good leading question. I would say, simply making sure to tell the truth. I guess operatively simply because, with quotation around it as you’re stating that that’s not so easy. You know, you’re hired as an actor to just tell the truth. It was interesting, being a former athlete this was the season most appropriate to the thought of not the entire game being the focus but each play. Just kind of making sure that you nail each play. And that includes, if you’re supposed to look like a stumbling bumbling fool who’s unraveling, when nine-some million viewers know you to be so calm, cool, collected and eight steps ahead turn into this voracious IQ that Courtney created that gotta be or possess, or whether it’s you being heroic and being loving, even though Tariq, in terms of Michael Rainey’s character, as a son not believing what I’m trying impart as a father. Making sure that whatever the truth of the writing that is on paper, was told. That was really hard for me to share, because there was so many different things going on, so many relationships, so many ghosts following Ghost.

The Knockturnal: Right, exactly. And even switching from that family Ghost, that becomes so important in this season after Raina’s death and everything that’s happening with Tariq, and then business Ghost with Tommy, Kanan and Dre. Can you tell me a little bit about how does that work, switching between those two different Ghosts?

Omari Hardwick: It’s interesting being. . . A lot of times, you’re not given the excuse as an actor or character. The freedom, the allowance/excuse to be able to play all of those different things you’re talking about. But with the character that Courtney and Curtis created, that’s gotta be three-in-one. So, you’re immediately given the excuse. Like, “oh ok, I can be that guy that guy.” So, you know, it’s set up, the framing is such where I can stand on different quadrants of the room and still be the same individual, so those three different individuals show up probably the most this year. Whereas in season three I felt there was a lot of Jamie, which was when Lobos died. So you saw a moment of him becoming Ghost again to kill Lobos. Season two – Ghost, season 1 – Ghost. Season two and three, the hybrid, Ghost and James St. Patrick, and you’re talking entrepreneur endeavors, meeting with Simon Stern. This season you have Ghost dealing with what you said and that’s Kanan, Tommy and Dre. But then you have James St. Patrick still dealing with, not only Simon Stern, but also Tate, played by Larenz Tate. And then you have Jamie trying to remind Angela, that even though you’re the reason I went to jail, you’re also the reason that I’m out of jail and I appreciate that – as Jamie. It’s just making sure that I stay attentive to all three of those guys and making sure that Omari fills up all three of those guys differently. That’s been a challenge.

The Knockturnal: Yes, I can’t wait to see how that’s going to play out.

Omari Hardwick: It’s definitely gonna play out somewhere (laughter)

The Knockturnal: Thank you so much.

Omari Hardwick: Thank you, very humbled.

The Knockturnal: Hi Lela, congratulations on season five.

Lela Loren: Thank you

The Knockturnal: So much happening at the end of fourth season, we jump into a lot of different conflicts in season five. Can you tell me a little more about how it was portraying those this season. Was it more difficult than usual, or.. ?

Lela Loren: I mean, I think as an actor our work is always equally sort of challenging, exciting. For the characters, the stakes are getting so much higher and it’s forcing them to, in some ways bury conflicts that they’ve had, personal vendettas that they’ve had, in order to come together to kind of solve a problem. So, at the end we see Kanan and Tommy and Ghost together, because they have kind of banded together against their mutual foe, Dre. You would’ve never seen those guys get together. Angela is going to be working with some people you don’t expect her to. And at the end of season four, with Raina’s death, it just shakes everyone to their core, including Angela. And the very human moment that she has with Tasha, at the end when Tasha comes to her terrified that Tariq’s gone missing and both of these women know that it’s just so much bigger than that. And Angela decides to help Tasha. That puts her in a very sticky situation, and we’ll how this plays out at the top of season five.

The Knockturnal: Can you tell me a little more about how Angela’s relationship with Ghost will move forward, whether that new relationship with Tasha is going to change things? Because from the begging, since season one, Angela’s relationship with Ghost was like a rollercoaster. So what can fans expect from now on?

Lela Loren: This season, you know, there’s no more secrets between them anymore. Everyone is fully exposed, she knows who he is, she blew up her life to save and they both sort of wanted to be done with each other and then you see that spark at the end where that connection they still have is still there. So this season Angela is navigating her very complicated feelings, she doesn’t wanna love this man because she knows who he is, and yet she still does. And then with Tasha, what happened to their family, what happened to Raina and Tariq. I think, it makes these women sort of put aside whatever the feelings that they have towards each other to work together.

The Knockturnal: And then you have Angela’s professional where she jumps so much higher in her position. Can you tell me how is it portraying such a powerful woman in such powerful position? How important that is?

Lela Loren: I think like the fact that we have to ask that question or comment on it is sort of indicative of where we still are. I think it’s about time, I think it’s our rightful place as women. So it sort of feels as it should be.

The Knockturnal: Thank you so much, can’t wait to see the rest of the season. Congratulations again.

Lela Loren: Thank you so much.