Power: Was 50 Cent originally going to play Ghost St Patrick?

Starz series Power concluded in February 2020 with a shocking series finale. The mystery surrounding the shooting of James “Ghost” St Patrick (played by Omari Hardwick) was also resolved. Following the last episode, US network Starz confirmed it was going to be growing the universe of Power with four new spin-off series: Book II: Ghost, Book III: Raising Kanan, Book IV: Influence and Book V: Force.

Was 50 Cent originally going to play Ghost St Patrick?

As well as serving as an executive producer on Power, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson also portrayed Kanan Stark.

Kanan grew up with Ghost and the pair shared an animosity, which inevitably ended in death.

Power was created by Courtney A. Kemp whose previous credits include The Good Wife and Beauty & the Beast.

Kemp worked with 50 and producer Mark Canton as they sought to make a show featuring an African American lead, which was music-driven and fast-paced.

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She previously said she wanted to create a subversive James Bond and what it meant to be a black man in America during the Obama administration.

Speaking to Essence back in 2017, 50 Cent revealed: “There was a point that I had to keep [Kemp] on this project and I said, ‘I’m going to play Ghost, I’m going to play the lead. We’re just going to go and make the show.’

“Then when we got the show picked up, she was like, ‘Listen, this means you don’t do this.”

He added: “I was like, ‘Can I do something else?”

Kemp, who was also being interviewed, added how this conversation marked the birth of Kanan.

She explained: “When we created Kanan, I said, ‘What do you want?’”

The rapper and actor responded by telling her how he wanted to be the “worst character on television” and the “meanest”.

The writer added: “It’s grown from there, but we really tried to create something that would have that notoriety. That would allow people to see that different side.

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“He was really a street dude, really in the code.

“That’s what that comes to, if you don’t ever divert.”

Kanan was part of the show since season one until five, where he was bumped off in a plot by Tasha St Patrick (Naturi Naughton).

The character was revealed to have taken both Ghost and Tommy under his wing only for the former to betray him and get banged up.

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Kanan had wanted vengeance against Ghost ever since he was incarcerated but never really managed it.

Luckily, the prequel series Raising Kanan will shed further light on the character.

So, it looks like 50 Cent was eager to hold onto Kemp and the project so they could get it made.

Although 50 Cent didn’t play Ghost in the end, he gave a strong turn as Kanan opposite Hardwick.

50 Cent continues to be involved in the franchise and the subsequent spin-offs.

Power seasons 1 to 6 are streaming on the Starz app and Netflix UK now

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