‘Power’ Star Omari Hardwick Talks ‘Empire’ Comparisons: ‘Dig Deeper, They’re Very Different’

“I think it’s a natural comparison. And it’s an average comparison,” Starz star says in new episode of TheWrap’s “Drinking With the Stars”

“Power” has already been renewed for a third season by Starz and series star Omari Hardwick admits he saw the good news coming.

During a new episode of TheWrap’s “Drinking With the Stars,” Hardwick said he had been given a heads up since he’s the lead on the show, but it wasn’t made officially official until about two months ago – right before the premiere of the show’s second season.

The success of the show has drawn comparisons to Fox’s “Empire,” fueled in part by “Power” producer 50 Cent’s own social media postings. So is there a real feud or is it all in good fun?

“There’s a collective opinion that he’s having fun with it,” Hardwick quipped. “I have a lot of respect for Terrence Howard. Big time actor. When I was coming up, I looked at him and thought he was doing his thing… ‘Hustle and Flow’ was the thing that really stood out to me. Taraji’s already been nominated for an Oscar, I’ve auditioned for Lee Daniels several times, so it’s hard to not support something that’s being as highly regarded as that’s been regarded, where you have actors who look like me. It’s a landscape of not a lot of us working, I would say.”

Hardwick even said he gets the comparison between the two shows.

“I’m very blessed. I don’t mind the comparison,” he said. “Whenever you have a rags to riches story – both have rags to riches as the backdrop, both have brown people portraying the lead characters – then I think it’s a natural comparison. And it’s an average comparison. I think if you dig deeper, they’re very different.”

“Power” airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.

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