It goes without saying that Omari Hardwick killed it as James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick in Power, delivering a smooth, intense, and totally gripping performance. The actor’s portrayal of the character gave us a cunning, ambitious nightclub owner and drug kingpin who’s torn between his criminal empire, his family, and his quest to be a legitimate business owner. With this in mind, it’s a travesty that though Power is one of the most talked-about and binge-worthy TV dramas of the last decade, Hardwick, never received the widespread recognition or awards he deserved.
As the lead actor, he elevated Power into a cultural phenomenon through his stellar performance, raising the bar for not just his co-stars but other crime dramas as well. Although the Emmy and the Golden Globe Awards may have ghosted him, the Power star still walked away with an NAACP Image Award to show for it.
Omari Hardwick Delivered a Transformative Role as Ghost in ‘Power’
Image credit: Starz
Created by Courtney A. Kemp and produced by Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, the Starz television series Power follows the life of James St. Patrick, a drug kingpin whose desire to leave the criminal world behind keeps getting thwarted by messy aspects of his past. At the heart of that conflict is Ghost, St. Patrick’s darker alter ego, who keeps pulling him back into the underworld just as he tries to go legit. The show uses him as an avenue to explore themes of power, loyalty, ambition, betrayal, and the dilemmas faced with living a double life.” It’s this struggle to balance his illegal business, family, and business ambitions that ends up serving as the premise of the show. He portrays this character with a commanding presence that fully displays his intelligence and his emotional vulnerability all in one. Hardwick’s undeniable charisma made him not just feared but also admired and respected.
Omari Hardwick’s take on Ghost really digs into all the messy emotions underneath the surface. Whether it’s his complicated love for his wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton), the feelings he has for Angela Valdes (Lela Loren), or the bond/tension he has with his best friend Tommy (Joseph Sikora), Hardwick brings a certain insight into Ghost’s struggles and desire to turn his life around. While it’s clear that Ghost is no one’s hero, Hardwick’s performance is so compelling that it makes you root for him. He nails the way ambition and tough circumstances shape who we eventually become.
The Awards Omari Hardwick Deserved But Never Got
Image credit: Starz
Despite Power’s record-breaking success, Hardwick’s performance as Ghost was largely overlooked by major award bodies. Fans have argued that the actor should have been acknowledged with either an Emmy or a Golden Globe Award for leading the charge in the show. In 2016, after Power was shut out of the Golden Globe Awards, the show’s producer, 50 Cent, publicly criticized the snub, pointing out the show’s high ratings and cultural impact. While Hardwick did receive an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Power, many still believe that the industry failed to give him his due credit. Thankfully, his overall talent has not gone unrecognized; in 2025, he earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for Concrete & Whiskey Act II Part 1: A Bourbon 30 Series.
Hardwick has raised the bar for villains in television, especially by making the alter-ego Ghost one of the most influential characters of the last decade. As a result, it’s not just the character that became memorable, but the entire show. Power has become one of the most influential crime dramas of its time, and it has solidified its place in pop culture. Beyond Power, Harwick has continued to prove he’s a jack-of-all-roles in Hollywood. His performances in projects like Army of the Dead, Sorry to Bother You, Pieces of Her, and Star Trek: Section 31 showcase his ability to embody varying characters. Whether Hardwick is pushing drugs as Ghost or putting on 20 pounds of muscle to become Vanderohe in Army of the Dead, Hardwick continues to surprise his audience. While his fans may wish he played Ghost just a little longer, it’s obvious the actor has so much to offer — and hopefully, more well-deserved awards in the future.
Ghost is not to be slept on, see for yourself — Power is currently streaming on Starzplay.
