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00:00This next segment I know you're gonna love, we got a few special guests from the
00:04spin-off series Power Book 2. I know y'all love Power. Rest in peace, Ghost. But if
00:10y'all haven't been watching it, y'all better catch up because they've already
00:12been renewed for a second season. Let's check out this clip from Power Book 2
00:17and get into this panel.
00:30Power fans, you know what time it is. Welcome to Power Break. Generation Next
00:58Making an Impact on Hollywood. I am Noni, executive producer of video here at
01:03Essence and co-host of Best Friends with Benefits podcast. I'm so excited to bring
01:09you this discussion with these amazing young Black actors to talk about how
01:13they're making an impact on Hollywood. Now, if you are not obsessed with this new
01:19Power series, what are you doing? But really, I can't wait to get into the
01:25introduction. So let's meet who we're talking about. First up, we have Michael
01:29Rainey Jr. who plays Tariq St. Patrick on the show. Michael has been acting since he
01:34was nine with roles and everything from The Butler to Orange is the New Black to
01:39Barbershop 3 to name just a few. When he's not stressing us out and keeping us on
01:45the edge of our seats as Tariq on screen, you can find him making music, playing video
01:50games or spending time with his family in his home of Jamaica. Welcome, Michael.
01:55Michael Rainey Jr.: Thank you for having me. What's up? What's up?
01:57Absolutely. Also joining us today is Miss Paige Hurd. She might be young, but she's a veteran
02:05in the business. Prior to her role as Lauren Baldwin on Ghost Power Book 2, Paige was all over
02:12our TV and movie screens with roles on Everybody Hates Chris, Tyler Perez, The Oval, and Beauty
02:19Shop with Queen Latifah among a slew of other projects. Hey, Paige, you look gorgeous.
02:24Paige Hurd. Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
02:28Absolutely. And rounding out our panel is Miss Latoya Tanodeo who plays Diana Tejada on
02:36the series. An L.A. native, you may have seen Latoya in The Oath, The Fosters, or in The
02:42Perfect Match. We can't wait to keep watching her on Power Book 2 Ghost. Hey, everybody.
02:48What's up? What's up? I know when people say hit series, it's something to say, but you
02:55guys are literally a part of a record-breaking hit series. Congratulations on getting renewed.
03:02I know that must feel amazing, and it must be amazing to be a part of it. And it's so amazing
03:09for us to see such young Black and talented actors at the forefront of such a beloved franchise
03:16like Power. On top of that, you get to play pretty diverse and interesting characters. So
03:22let's get into our chat. So for all of you, one of the most exciting and refreshing things
03:30about the show is that you guys, we get to see you all hold your own at every single scene,
03:37which is really, really great. What do each of your characters bring to this series that
03:41we haven't really gotten to see from young Black leads on a hit television show like this
03:47before? Michael, let's start with you.
03:49Well, you know, I started off stressing y'all out. So I guess that's one thing I bring,
03:55you know, stressing the audience out. I mean, but now it's more so just like, Tariq is in
04:02a new world now. So he's not really the same kid, you know, he's not really like acting off
04:07of being upset at his family. You know, he actually got to, he got to do things for his family,
04:11you know, to help grandma and help his little sister and help get Ma out of jail. So he's in
04:16the new world for sure. Yeah. And Paige, what about you?
04:21Um, I mean, there's so many like good Black TV shows on right now with young people.
04:27Um, obviously I'm biased. I love ours the best, but I think like with my character,
04:34um, as a newbie coming in, I feel like I have this sense of like, mysteriousness to me.
04:40Like, you know, she has a boyfriend. We had no idea this whole time. We all would have thought
04:43that we all would have thought that she was just like into her studies and maybe into Tariq,
04:48but there's this guy that comes along. And I just think as the season goes on,
04:52you'll see more unfold with Lauren. So I'm really excited about that. And with the fact
04:56that, you know, she's not your typical girl next door, I think that she has a lot of substance
05:01to her. So I think that's just what I bring to the table.
05:05I love that. And Latoya, what about you?
05:08Um, well, Diana, she's very flawed. She's layered. And I love the fact that she is perfect.
05:15Um, and you can't put her in a box. So because she's such a new character, the audience will
05:22get to grow with her and see whether she becomes good, bad, or in the middle. You don't know yet.
05:28So I love the fact that she has all those different layers and duality to herself.
05:33Yeah, Latoya, like your character Diana has learned a lot from her mom Monet, who don't play,
05:39played by none other than Miss Mary J. Blige, both good and bad. What do you think is the most
05:46relatable part of playing Diana? Um, what I feel Diana brings that's very relatable, at least for me,
05:54is the fact that even though she's a part of a very strong family, she still has a voice. She
05:59speaks up, she makes decisions for herself. They may not always be the best decisions in
06:03her mom's eyes, but at least she has enough confidence within herself to make a choice.
06:09And, um, I love the fact that you can't, she's not a robot. She's not a puppet. You can't just
06:15like put a battery in her back and tell her to go. And I feel like that pretty much is what she
06:21learned from her mom because Monet's very, very strong, very strong willed. So being in a family
06:26like that, she, whether she's making the right decisions or not, she has a voice and she's going
06:31to do what she thinks is right. Right. That's so great. So Paige, I know that mental health
06:38awareness is very important to you and it's definitely something we need to talk more about
06:43in our community. Now you mentioned earlier your character, Lauren, she's dealing with a lot of things.
06:50And on the surface, a lot of people think, you know, she seems like she has it together,
06:54but then we find out she has some secrets brewing below the surface that can ultimately take a toll
06:59on her mentally and emotionally. How do you bring that duality to life on the show for Lauren?
07:06Um, okay. That's a good question. Super loaded. Uh, let me try and make it. Um, so with her right
07:12now, I think that, you know, her brother is struggling more so. And I think that with the pressure that her
07:18parents probably put on him, she doesn't want that to happen to her, which causes, you know,
07:24your mental to be triggered a little bit. And I think like, for me, how I bring this all together
07:29is being a child actor or even just an actor period, you know, growing up your whole life,
07:35you're, you want to please everybody. And that validation is very important because this is how you work.
07:41Like people don't understand for us. It's like, we have to be validated in order to have a job in a sense,
07:49because we're getting told no constantly. And so that's the toll on your mental, which is why I am
07:54such a big advocate for mental health awareness. And eventually like, you know, I want to do something
07:59really huge in that area. So I'm working on that now. But, um, I think just like having that type of experience
08:05in life was really helpful in bringing that to Lauren. And I think as she continues to open up
08:11and the layers kind of just peel like a little onion, you'll see more of that. But, um, yeah, like,
08:17hopefully she stays sane and doesn't end up where her brother bears, you know?
08:21Hopefully. Um, yeah. And that's definitely a role that a lot of people need to see. And you're doing it so,
08:27so well. So thank you for that. Thank you.
08:30Um, Michael, there is never a dull moment. I mean, you guys are really holding up to the power name,
08:38keeping us all on the edge of our seats, right? Um, but this season, we're really seeing Tariq
08:44around a lot of males, young black males, his own age, all coming from different walks of life,
08:51dealing with different sets of circumstances. How do you think that dynamic has influenced the growth
08:57of what we've seen in Tariq's character this series?
09:01Well, now it's like, you know, they get to see Tariq actually be a kid, you know?
09:06Like they get to see him, see how he acts around people his age,
09:09the people that relate to certain things.
09:11Well, I don't think anyone kind of relates to anything Tariq is, you know, going through right now.
09:16But definitely just like seeing him in the space of just like school and seeing him work with different kids
09:21and different ages. It's definitely dope because, you know, in the other show,
09:25and in Power, it's just like, he's there in the world of adults and he's trying to, you know,
09:29be the big boy and he's out there making crazy decisions. So now it's like, he's with his own kind of people
09:36and they get to see him grow like within that crowd. So that's definitely exciting.
09:42All right. So we're going to play a rapid round. Who's the most likely to, and you're going to answer as your characters.
09:49You guys ready? Yes. All right. So who's most likely to give up their cell phone password to someone they're dating?
09:58Who is that? Who is that? Who is that? All right. We're pointing down. Okay. So as Lauren,
10:05so who's most likely to air all their relationship drama out on social media?
10:10Who is that going to be Tariq, Diana or Lauren? We're saying Tariq.
10:16You got to go LaDoya. Oh, oh, oh. See?
10:20We're going to be on social media, baby.
10:22Lauren is a mess.
10:24What?
10:26We're going to be on social media. I had to use Zeke's. I had to use Zeke's to go on live. I don't be on social media.
10:31You know what? That is true. It's not going to be Tariq.
10:35They don't even let her go on Instagram.
10:39Exactly. All right. So who is Tariq most likely to hit up for cuffing season? Who's that going to be? Tariq, you're just not going to vote.
10:49He has options. So he might do it on the low. Honestly, it may not even be either one of us.
10:56Don't let it out the bad. I love it. All right. So who's most likely to start a fight over a text message or call from an ex?
11:08Diane.
11:10Diane.
11:12All of us. All of us.
11:16So who is Tariq most likely to risk his life to save?
11:28I'd say both of us.
11:32I don't know.
11:34But Tariq is voting.
11:36Because if he lets anything happen to her, that's his you know what.
11:40No name's going to come for you. That's a good one.
11:42I care for my ladies. So both of them. I got to save both of them.
11:48Here you go.
11:49I'm going to save one and not save the other one. That's a fact.
11:52You know what? That's a good way out of this. All right.
11:56Best case scenario. All right. This is the last question.
12:00Who will end up together at the end of the season?
12:05All right.
12:07That was a trick question. That was a trick question. We just tried to get.
12:11We all was like, um.
12:14Never mind. Never mind.
12:16What did you say?
12:19Facts.
12:20I feel like we definitely learned a lot more about the characters through that game.
12:25So you're welcome, Power fans.
12:27Now, as we wrap up, right, we have to ask, last but certainly not least before we go, as Gen Z voters,
12:37what do you guys think is the most important thing at stake in this upcoming election?
12:43Diane, I'll start with you.
12:46I would say our lives and our freedom.
12:49You have to vote like your life depended on it because it actually does right now.
12:53It is extremely important.
12:55Like, I can't even stress how important voting is.
12:59It's your rights.
13:00It's the things like the smallest things can be taken away from you.
13:03So it's very important that everyone gets out and they vote.
13:07Put your life first.
13:08Period.
13:09Really great.
13:10Paige, what about you?
13:11Yeah, period.
13:12Look, I'm just saying like we we can protest as much as we want to.
13:19We can scream as much as we want to.
13:21But if we're not going to go out there and vote to get it done ourselves, like nothing's going to change.
13:25And I think that we have seen that the last four years.
13:28So it's just super important.
13:30Whatever it is you want, like it's on a poll.
13:32Go out there, vote.
13:33It takes two seconds.
13:35And my new thing is I feel like everybody should have voting days like off for work.
13:40But that's just me like I don't run anything.
13:42But maybe we can vote that, too.
13:44So it's important.
13:45Like if we want stuff done, like I said, we need to vote, you know, I will be there.
13:49So that and then Michael, what about you?
13:53I feel the same way they feel, you know, it's like we could do everything, everything in the book.
13:59But if we don't vote and like it's really not going to be no change.
14:02It's like, you know, you got to go vote, go register if you're not registered already and go make a change.
14:07Like that's it right there.
14:08That's the that's the change that we need.
14:10I'm not trying to be under no dictatorship.
14:12So we got to get that guy about it.
14:14Yeah, go vote.
14:15That's it.
14:17Well, you guys were so amazing.
14:20Michael, Paige, Latoya, thank you so much for joining us here at the Girls United Virtual Summit.
14:27We love watching you on the show and it was great to hear from you and what it's been like to play these amazing characters and bring such diverse stories to life.
14:36And it's amazing to see such layered representations of young black people on screen.
14:42And you guys are making us all so proud.
14:46So thank you so much for continuing such a great franchise and entertaining us all.
14:51For everyone watching at home, make sure you catch Power Book 2 Ghost returning with the second half in December on Starz.
15:00And you can catch it on the Starz app.
15:02Don't leave just yet.
15:04We've got more GU Summit on the way.
15:06But first, check out this clip from the Starz Take the Lead movement.
15:16Tell me why you're here.
15:17We do it for the glory.
15:20In this life, you always got to go full out.
15:24We're working together.
15:27We're building something here.
15:29Help me shape this place.
15:33I got a plane.
15:36I'm committed to these.
15:38I'm committed to these girls.
15:41We do it for the glory.
15:45Yeah, yeah.