Exclusive: Hailey Kilgore talks Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2, Jukebox and LeToya Luckett
Returning Sunday, August 14 on STARZ is the highly anticipated season two premiere of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” starring MeKai Curtis in the titular role of “Kanan” and Tony® Awards winner Patina Miller as his mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas.
Set in the early 1990’s, the third series in the “Power” Universe tells the origin story of fan favorite character, “Kanan Stark,” and follows his coming of age in South Jamaica, Queens. Raised by a single mother, who ruthlessly runs the family’s emerging criminal empire, Kanan charts out a path through some of the city’s most volatile streets while, at the same time, navigating his way through adolescence, which has its own dangers and pitfalls.
As we enter our second season, Raquel “Raq” Thomas has gained control over the city’s drug trade, but her son is slipping away. After being whisked out of the city for his own safety at the end of season one, Kanan Stark returns to Queens uncertain of his future with the family business. Meanwhile, a secret about his mother and neighborhood antagonist, Detective Malcolm Howard, threatens to upend everything Kanan thought he knew about himself and his family. While trying to allay her son’s concerns, Raq boldly expands the family business into hostile Mafia territory. She gets no help from her younger brother, Lou-Lou, who has other plans that revolve around his emerging record label. On the other hand, Marvin, the oldest of the Thomas siblings, remains Raq’s loyal soldier, but struggles to earn his daughter, Jukebox’s, forgiveness after their brutal fight in season one.
The ties that bind this family together are becoming undone, but Raq will stop at nothing to hold them together.
In addition to Miller and Curtis, the cast also includes Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$ and Shanley Caswell (The Conjuring). Antonio Ortiz has been upped to a series regular role returning as Shawn “Famous” Figueroa in the second season.
For Kilgore, Jukebox had a lot of going on last season with the sudden death of her best friend and girlfriend, and then having a heated argument with her father Marvin. In season two, she will be on a mission seeking her mother, who left her when she was young to pursue a music career. LeToya Lucket will be playing her mom this season.
Blackfilmandtv.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with Kilgore on the upcoming season.