HousealumOmar Eppsis feeling right at home.
Malcolm Howard, a powerful force on the streets of South Jamaica, Queens.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:Before being cast onKanan, what was your relationship toPower?
‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’.Starz
OMAR EPPS:I was a fan.
So when this came down the pipeline, I was super excited.
I think thatPowerhits on passion points from a cultural standpoint.
Omar Epps in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’.Cara Howe/Starz
And as they say, we never get to choose our family, right?
That’s relatable to true life; we all have family and have to deal with each other.
Do you inherit the sins of your father, or do you make your own path?
I approached Howard the same way.
I wanted to explore that.
As we wait to see what is buried underneath, what can you tell me about how Det.
Howard connects to the other characters?
Yeah, he’s a detective, but he’s also a street guy and a husband.
So he’s kind of connected to all parts.
He knows Raq (Patina Miller), he knows Kanan, because he’s from the neighborhood.
For you, was that an interesting new avenue into this established universe?
Now, you weren’t running around getting in trouble on the streets of South Jamaica, Queens.
You were actually filming your big screen breakoutJuicein New York at the time, so very different situations!
But was it kind of wild to be looking at this era through a new lens?
Yeah, part of that is kind of surreal.
But then I’m one of those people who feels like everything happens for a reason.
For me, it became another challenge in the sense of maintaining authenticity.
But everyone did their due diligence, in terms of the cast.
I justJuice, which helped launch your career almost 30 years ago.
That’s a great question, and I think that the simplest answer is we never stop learning.
We’re all still students.
That’s the hardest part of all.
Talking to Mekai, I know he’s trying to soak up whatever he can from you.
It’s a slice of real-life, in a time where things were not politically correct.
And it’s also a coming-of-age story.
It’s almost like it’s our culture’s version of The Wonder Years.
