Omari Hardwick Reveals He Made $150,000 Per Episode On ‘Power’
Since Power’s ending, the show has branched out with three spinoffs (Ghost, Raising Kanan, and Force) and is still a major money-maker for STARZ. Omari Hardwick, star of the initial game-changing series from 50 Cent and Courtney A. Kemp, disclosed for the first time that he was never made what he felt he was worth even during his six-season run as James St. Patrick.
Hardwick recently sat with the men of The Pivot Podcast to discuss his time as Ghost, the growth of his former franchise, and why he says that making $150,000 per episode wasn’t enough.
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“I never made what I shoulda made […] it’s happening now though, finally,” he revealed while speaking on how Black men are handled when it comes to respective titles in certain industries that give them the power and potential wealth they seek. Prior to Power, the actor landed prominent roles in Sparkle (2012), For Colored Girls (2010), and Being Mary Jane (2013), but it wasn’t until he gained notoriety from the Starz drama series that he began to reap its benefits.
Compared to Angela Bassett’s alleged $250,000 per episode pay on FOX’s 9-1-1, Hardwick expressed that while it’s a feat for her to be the highest-paid actress on a primetime drama, he was the face of STARZ and should’ve been making far more than he did.
“It’s metrics,” he stated as he began to explain the process of contract negotiation. “As that person who’s an activist and a poet, who is full of grace and mercy to absolutely be like ‘STARZ, I’m still super humble. 50 and Courtney, I’ll thank you forever, but all of them know I really ain’t make no money.”
Watch the full breakdown below, starting at the 49-minute mark.