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Michael Jai White Sounds Off-On Why He Turned Down The Offer To Play Ghost In Starz’s Original Power

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Michael Jai White has been offered the role of Ghost in the 50 Cent and Courtney Kemp’s Power universe, but Omari Hardwick ended up getting the role due to a scheduling conflict.

White attempted to be timid in his recent interview with VladTV, but the actor finally admitted there were more than rumors linking him to the STARZ series.

“That’s something that I’ve heard from producers… Yeah, I’ve heard this. I don’t know how much truth there is to it,” White shared. “There had been an offer. Some things get offered to you but you have to be available to do it.”

White explained that he committed to working on a TV show by Tyler Perry at about the same time as Power, which debuted in 2014, was looking to film.

White confirmed that he was unable to fulfill the two obligations, but that he was very supportive of Hardwick in the role.

 “Omari’s a friend,” he said. “Yeah, he was outstanding in that series.”

Earlier this year, while Kemp was a guest on The Crew Has it was Michael Rainey Jr and Gianni Paolo, she revealed every black actor that you can think was brought into audition for Ghost including Boris Kodjoe and Ricky Whittle.

“A fun fact you know who killed his audition for Ghost? Like murder it? Boris Kodjoe! No one ever believes me, but Boris was amazing. First of all, Boris speaks like 900 languages, and he is physically imposing and all the things. It’s he is so beautiful, and he’s so like it’s just well this doesn’t feel real now, whatever, but I have to give him his props because we saw pretty much every black actor there was at that time, you know what I mean, and Boris murdered it murdered it,” said Kemp.

“The other person who got close was a guy named; I don’t remember his last name. He ended up being on American Gods Ricky [Whittle]. They ended up casting him on American Gods anyway. Great guy, Omari [Hardwick] is who I wanted.”

Hardwick acted as James “Ghost” St. Patrick for six seasons of Power from 2014 until his death in season 6 of 2020.

In an interview with TheGrio in 2016, Hardwick revealed that he was convinced of the role when he talked with 50 Hundred for two hours about Ghost, followed by another 10-minute conversation with creator Courtney Kemp, who locked him into the role.

Make sure you catch Power Book II: Ghost season 3 on Starz, which will make it’s debut on March 19th 2023.

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Written by Byron Nelson

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