Omari Hardwick broke down the amount of money he was making while starring in “Power” for six seasons. The actor also said he borrowed money from 50 Cent twice.
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During an interview on the podcast, “The Pivot”, Hardwick was asked by co-host Channing Crowder about being financially stable and working on the popular Starz series. Hardwick says he should’ve made more money before “Power” despite appearing in several films and shows such as “Being Mary Jane”, “Gridiron Gang”, and “Next Day Air.” “I still haven’t made what I should have made. I still never made the money, no, the money, I never made what I should have made. Never,” he explained. Hardwick added that 50 Cent helped him out financially by lending him money between seasons one and three as reported by Atlanta Black Star.
“I think he forever just really, really respects the s—t out of me for that. We just not taught that in our community. For me to give it back to 50 with interest, I was just so proud to be able to do that, and it was early. He felt like, ‘D—n O, you can’t be messed up. You need money. It was the summer after season 1 and then it was the summer after season 2. He gave me $20,000 and then the next summer he gave me $23,000.”
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“He adores J and the kids, he might like them more than me. It was absolutely given in a way you know, ‘Take care of the family, bro,'” Hardwick continued. The outlet also noted how Hardwick compared his pay rate to Angela Bassett who is currently starring in Fox’s “9-1-1” series and making $450,000 per episode. He claims he should’ve been paid more since he was the face of Starz Network at the time.
“You got it right. First time I’ve ever disclosed it, but I was also the face of the network. Angela’s not the face of that network. She’s one of the greatest actresses that will face the planet, but she’s not the face of that network,”
However, the actor says he’s very humble about the opportunity by everyone was aware that he didn’t make enough money. “50 and Courtney, I’ll thank you forever, but all of them know, ‘He didn’t really make no money.’ They know it before I know it,” he said.
Social media reacts to Hardwick comparing himself to Angela Bassett.
Despite being transparent throughout the interview, a lot of social media users did not like how Hardwick compared his pay scale to Angela Bassett’s and noted that her body of work has spanned over 20 years in the industry. Additionally, some appreciated the feedback and advice he was giving about the industry.
@OmariHardwick I saw a statement you made that said in our community we are not taught to pay people back or with the interest . Omari,that’s an absolute LIE! An absolute lie!
— ANGELplz (@NotoriusNormani) June 1, 2022
That Omari ghost interview that just dropped was 🔥 .. son speaking facts
— beezy (@purerarity) June 1, 2022
Omari Hardwick mindset is incredible. It takes a different breed to truly understand where he’s coming from! #ThePivot
— 🅈🅅🄴🅃🅃🄴 (@ldywdefitness) May 31, 2022