Mary J. Blige Says She’s “Super Comfortable” Now As An Actress In ‘Power Book II: Ghost’
Like her Power co-star Clifford “Method Man” Smith, Mary J. Blige has not only shown us how iconic she is in the music space, but on-screen, as well. Having acted in a few films including Mudbound and Rock of Ages, Mary has shown us her best work yet as Monet Tejada in 50 Cent’s Power Book II: Ghost.
Ahead of season three’s premiere happening ironically on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), MJB spoke with VIBE about her beloved role on the hit Starz series, as well as how she’s grown as an actress.
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“Wow, I’m super comfortable with becoming a character, like at the drop of the hat,” the Good Morning Gorgeous songstress beamed. “So it’s really building my confidence as an actress. And yeah, that’s exactly what it’s doing.”
Mary’s character in Power Book II is a boss woman who keeps the same energy in her home as the matriarch of her family. As she’s raising her children to be their own bosses, she’s often misunderstood as a mom who doesn’t have compassion for her offspring — which is usually traded for tough love in the show. Mary says season 3 will be “intense.”
Speaking to what she’d like to see more of from her role in forthcoming seasons, the queen of Hip-Hop Soul expressed wanting to portray a more humane Monet that isn’t “corny.”
“I mean, we’re seeing it right now that Monet is also a human being,” she said. “She has feelings. She’s mourning the loss of her child — and that’s not normal for Monet. So just more arcs like that, that says she’s human, but that are not corny.”
Although the role of Monet Tejada comes off rather brash at times, Mary revealed that the character was actually created exclusively just for her.
“This was like tailor made for me,” the 2022 NAACP Image Award recipient said. “This was me and Courtney and 50 sitting in the office talking. So she was built, born, right on the spot.”
Method Man Talks On-Screen “Synergy” With Redman Ahead Of ‘Power Book II: Ghost…
Season 3 of Power Book II: Ghost will see the return of original characters, in addition to a few new faces. The series stars Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick, Clifford “Method Man” Smith, Gianni Paolo as Brayden Weston, Larenz Tate as Rashad Tate, Woody McClain as Cane Tejada, Lovell Adams-Gray as Dru Tejada, LaToya Tonodeo as Diana Tejada and Alix Lapri as Effie Morales.
Episode one of season 3 premieres Friday (March 17) at 9 PM EST in the U.S. and Canada. The new season will also be available at midnight on the Starz app. Check out the trailer below.