Based on Naomi Alderman’s 2017 novel, Prime Video’s television adaptation of “The Power” has a great ensemble cast of young actresses as well as veterans like John Leguizamo and Toni Collete.
Girls mysteriously start exhibiting electrical capabilities — expelling powerful shocks and sparks through their hands — after having developed a new organ near their collar bones that must have come from evolution.
Some respond fearfully to “the power” while others are more curious, and the gender-flipped situation — girls developing electrical discharge superpowers (called EOD) and using them to fight back against the patriarchy — makes great social commentary.
Mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez (Toni Collette)
Margot Cleary-Lopez is the mayor of Seattle, where “The Power” is set. She holds her own with rival politician Daniel Dandon (Josh Charles) who sometimes interferes with matters under her jurisdiction. She is married to Dr. Rob Lopez (John Leguizamo) and they make a dynamic duo. Her daughter Jos (Auli’i Cravalho) ends up possessing the electric capabilities that the U.S. and the world come to fear.
Toni Collette is known for playing Lynn Sear in “The Sixth Sense” (1999), Fiona Brewer in “About a Boy” (2002), Kitty in “The Hours” (2002) and Annie in “Hereditary” (2018). More recently she has appeared as Zeena the Seer in “Nightmare Alley” (2021), Laura Oliver in “Pieces of Her” (2022) and Kathleen in HBO’s “The Staircase” (2022).
Rob Lopez (John Leguizamo)
Rob is a doctor who sees more physical implications of the discovery of electrical powers in young girls. He treats a patient with shock scars, whose anger gets bottled up and results in explosions of the power. Rob is married to Mayor Margot, and he is closer to his daughter Jos than Margot is.
John Leguizamo is known for playing Tybalt in “Romeo + Juliet” (1996), Vinny in “Summer of Sam” (1999), Toulouse-Lautrec in “Moulin Rouge!” (2001) and voicing Sid the Sloth in the “Ice Age” films. More recently, he has voiced Bruno in “Encanto” (2021), played The Movie Star in “The Menu” (2022) and appeared as Scrooge in “Violent Night” (2022).
Jos Cleary-Lopez (Auli’i Cravalho)
Jos spends a lot of time alone with her thoughts, crushing on Ryan (Nico Hiraga) and listening to great music. She figures out her power with the help of Cat (Anissa Matlock), and her parents are generally supportive of it, rather than fearful like the rest of the world.
Auli’i Cravalho is known for voicing Disney Princess Moana in the 2016 animated film. She has also recently appeared in films like “Crush” as AJ Campos, “Darby and the Dead” as Capri and “All Together Now” as Amber Appleton.
Roxy Monke (Ria Zmitrowicz)
Roxy Monke is gangster Bernie Monke’s daughter, but she is from outside of his marriage. Rox is not afraid to confront anything, especially her father about working for him. She possesses EOD too and is very capable of using it to prove a point.
Ria Zmitrowicz is known for appearing in TV series like “Three Girls,” “Mr. Selfridge” and “On the Edge.”
Allie (Halle Bush)
Allie has a voice in her head — who she thinks is God — that coaches her on how to use her power. Allie shocks her adoptive father into oblivion and hits the road, ending up at a convent where she meets girls just like her.
This is one of Halle Bush’s first roles.
Tunde Ojo (Toheeb Jimoh)
Tunde, the only male protagonist, works a boring 9-5 business job but he aspires to be a journalist. The opportunity arises when his friend tracks down girls in possession of EOD. He catches it on camera and contributes to the global phenomenon. He even gets a call from CNN to go on contract for more footage.
Toheeb Jimoh is most well-known for playing Sam Obisanya in “Ted Lasso.”
Tatiana Moskalev (Zrinka Cvitesic)
Tatiana used to be the best gymnast in her age group. Now she is married to Viktor Moskalev, who promotes capital punishment for girls exhibiting the power. Her mother was very hard on her, but now she doesn’t give her mom the time of day from her position of power.
Zrinka Cvitesic is a Croatian actress who has previously appeared in “What Is a Man Without a Moustache?” (2005), “Na putu” (2010), as Doktorica Lovric in “Vegetarian Cannibale” (2012) and “London Spy” as Sara.
Ryan (Nico Hiraga)
Ryan is Jos’s crush. He’s a skater boy who seems genuinely concerned for the way their high school and the government is handling the emergence of this electric power in young girls.
Nico Hiraga is best known for roles like Tanner in “Booksmart” (2019), Seth in “Moxie” (2021) and Scotty in “Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between.”
