It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since we first met Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick, the complicated son of James "Ghost" St. Patrick, in the gritty world of Power.
At 23, Michael is now all grown up and leading the charge in his own show Power Book II: Ghost, the explosive spin-off that’s just as gripping as its predecessor. From his early days as a young actor, stepping into the massive shoes of the Power universe, Rainey Jr. has essentially matured right alongside his character.
“I learned a lot about principles, morals, loyalty and stuff like that,” Rainey Jr. told Complex. “Honestly, it really just sped up my process of becoming a young man. Every day I was just learning something new.”
Over the years, he’s evolved from a fresh-faced kid into a seasoned actor, deftly handling the intricate storylines and emotional beats that made the Power universe the cultural phenomenon that it was. But, he says, “great things gotta come to an end.”
As Power Book II: Ghost enters its fourth and final season, Rainey Jr. admits he was initially “confused a little bit” by the decision to end the series. Ultimately, though, after conversations with executives, “it kind of made sense.”
“I'm just ready to step into something new, a new chapter and just showcase a different side of Michael, as a whole,” Rainey Jr. said.
We caught up with Michael Rainey Jr. to talk about his nearly-decade long experience in the Power universe, working alongside his idol 50 Cent and the advice he gave him, plans for the future, and much more.
The final season of Power Book II: Ghost premieres June 7, 2024, only on Starz.
(This interview has been edited in length for clarity.)
What have you learned from playing Tariq so far?
Michael Rainey Jr: I learned a lot being on the show. Every day, just being around all those individuals, like Joseph and Aumary, 50.Just through the script and the story, I learned a lot about principles, morals, loyalty, and stuff like that. And honestly, it really just sped up my process of becoming a young man. Every day I was just learning something new.
What have you learned working with 50 Cent for basically a decade?
MR: Countless things. 50, that's my idol. He’s been my idol since I was seven. So just working alongside him has been a blessing. We were filming season three in Red Hook [Brooklyn], and we were just chopping it up in his trailer. He told me, “Don’t feel too entitled to the point you deprive yourself.” You could feel entitled to one thing, but you’d be depriving yourself of a bigger blessing somewhere else because you’re so focused on this one thing. So I definitely kept that close to me ever since he told me.
50 Cent posted recently about the NAACP not recognizing Raising Kanan at the awards. What are your thoughts on the lack of recognition for the Power universe?
MR: Me personally, I obviously appreciate awards and whatever. But 50 told me you can’t take no trophies to the bank, so an award is an award. Obviously it’s a big accomplishment, but me personally, it’s like, aight. Shouts out Raising Kanan, though, those are the guys over there.
"You can't take no trophies to the bank."
Who is your favorite scene partner in Power and why?
MR: Dang, I ain’t gonna lie, I got to say 50. Because that's really the beginning of my character's arc and story. He really turned my character into a menace, so I got to say 50. When I have a lot of scenes with him in a day, we just be chilling throughout the whole entire day, so I just be chopping it up with my idol the whole day. But other than that, I gotta say my boy Gianni [Paolo], too, got to say my boy Gianni. We were having too much fun on the set, but 50 gotta be number one, for sure.
What was your reaction when you found out Power Book II: Ghost was coming to an end?
MR: Honestly, I was a little bit taken aback. I was confused a little bit. But at the same time, after conversations I had with the higher ups and everything, it kind of made sense as to why they had to do some rearranging up there.
So I just appreciate the fact that we even had that. We started something so legendary, so shout out to STARZ, shout out to everybody. Great things gotta come to an end. I’d rather that than it get dragged out and people are like, “Yo, when is this show gonna end?”
"I was a little bit taken aback. I was confused a little bit."
What have the emotions been for you recently, and how will you feel once the final episode airs?
MR: I've been on the show since I was 12, bro. I grew up. I became literally a grown man on the show. And the people that I met on the show, they literally became additions to my family. So it’s going from working with these people every day, seeing them every day, to I’m not about to be working with you. It’s definitely emotional. We’re gonna see each other again. We’re going to work on different projects together. So yeah, just everybody gotta keep a lookout for stuff like that.
What are you telling a 12-year-old Michael Rainey Jr. when you joined the show for the first time?
MR: Buckle up, man. I definitely would say just get ready because I didn’t know what the heck was going to happen when I stepped onto the show. I was a “high and bye” character, in and out. And then they started believing in me and saw the potential and started building, and I’ll appreciate them forever for that. It changed my life.
"They started believing in me and saw the potential [...] It changed my life."
Last season ended while everybody was up against you. What can fans expect in this upcoming season?
MR: This is action packed. Not even one second goes by without some action happening. In the first episode, we jump straight into it. We're not setting up nothing. Off rip, it’s straight to the action. So that’s something they’re not gonna want to miss because after that it just gets crazier and crazier. When you start the season crazy, you know it’s gonna get crazier every week.
"Not even one second goes by without some action happening. In the first episode, we jump straight into it."
Ghost and Tommy are getting their own spinoff series soon. Do you ever see yourself coming back to this universe in some capacity?
MR: Depending on the timeline. If the timeline is what I think it’s going to be, I don’t think me, Michael Rainey Jr., will be in that, no.
What’s your next venture in life after Power?
MR: It's emotional, but at the same time, I'm super excited now. I've been portraying this role for a minute and I'm just ready to step into something new, a new chapter and just showcase a different side of Michael, as a whole.
Do you have any interest in moving into the movie space, or do you like acting in television more?
MR: The thing with television is, once you get into a role, depending on how successful the franchise is, you’re kind of limited on what you can do because you really only have X amount of time off of that set until you have to go back in for another season.
So honestly, since I've been doing that for like a good 10 years now, I'm ready to just be movie to movie. I want to portray as many different characters as I can and challenge myself as much as I can. Because when you’re in the show, and you were just one character for so long, after a while it’s not even really a challenge; I just have to snap into it real quick, snap out of it.
So in this chapter in my life, I definitely want to explore my artist side a lot more. And not even just acting—music, entrepreneurship, everything. I’m excited because Power has given me a platform, so now I can use that to build and just push everything I’m trying to do onto a bigger platform.
