Exclusive: Mekai Curtis On Being The Chosen One For Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Now playing on STARZ is its new crime drama series, “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” the third book within the growing “Power” Universe franchise. Experience the early ‘90s in this new coming of age prequel story revolving around character Kanan Stark.
Set in South Jamaica, Queens, in 1991, “Raising Kanan” is a prequel to the original “Power” franchise. It is a sprawling family drama that revolves around the coming of age of Kanan Stark; Ghost and Tommy’s mentor, partner and adversary, who ultimately dies in a hail of gunfire in the eighth episode of Power’s penultimate season.
When we catch up with Kanan here, he is the fifteen-year-old only child of Raquel “Raq” Thomas, a cocaine distributor with an emerging network of dealers across the city. Much like the original “Power,” “Raising Kanan” explores themes of identity, violence, and legacy, but it is also a deep dive into the very pathology of family; the unique, complicated and fraught dynamic between parent and child, mother and father, brother and sister.
The third book in the “Power” Universe stars Patina Miller as Raquel “Raq” Thomas and Mekai Curtis in the titular role as Kanan Stark. The cast also includes Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$, Toby Sandeman, Shanley Caswell, Lovie Simone and Quincy Brown.
Sascha Penn serves as creator and showrunner and is executive producing alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Courtney A. Kemp.
For Curtis, being chosen to play young Kanan is the biggest role in his early career. His past roles include voice work on the series “Milo Murphy’s Law” and on-camera roles in shows such as “Arrested Development,” “Kirby Buckets,” “Girl Meets World,” and in the film “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”
BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales caught up with Curtis as he spoke about being chosen by 50 Cent for the pivotal and starring role as Kanan.