Larenz Tate Talks Keeping Real Last Name For ‘Power’ Role Ahead Of ‘Book II: Ghost’ Season 3
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Beloved actor Larenz Tate has had a stellar on-screen career since his first major film, Menace II Society, in 1993. Still booked and busy in 2023, the 47-year-old actor‘s latest feat is his role of Councilman Tate on Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s award-winning Power series.
Tate has been able to help build the Starz series as a staple character, who is now starring in the spinoff Power Book II: Ghost, which premieres on St. Patirck’s Day (March 17).
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Ahead of season three of Book II, the Chicago-native spoke with VIBE, where he revealed how he was lucky enough to see his actual last name for his role in the show.
“I had nothing to do with that. That’s all Courtney Kemp,” he started. “When I signed on to do the project, to be a part of the show, she was explaining to me that there’s this really cool character she wanted me to portray. ‘He’s a politician, he’s kind of charming and charismatic,’ and she wanted to name him Councilman Tate. And I was like, ‘Well that’s easy, let’s do that.'”
He added, “And it’s nice to be able to be in a show where I do have my own last name, but I’m not quite that person. So Rashad is able to do all the things that Larenz can’t quite do. And it’s a joy just to be able to portray this character — and to stick around as long as I have is always shocking, but also pleasant to be able to remain one of the original cast members from Power. To be in Ghost, it’s nice and it’s a great feeling.”
Much different than Tate’s personality, Councilman Rashad Tate is all about “getting things done” by any means necessary — which could include betraying others and moving unethically.
“For me, what I would love to see more of is just a little bit of the humanity,” he revealed about what he wants to see for his role in forthcoming seasons. “Although we know you kind of love the character, you hate him, I’m happy to be either one, but I’d like to kind of lean towards a little bit more of the why he is the way he is, a little bit more of the humility behind him – just so that he is fully manifested in terms of being a well-rounded character. And I think he is. The writers and the creators and the show runners have a way of doing that.”
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“So for me, it’s just being able to see him continuously climb up those political ladders and accomplish things. He’s an overachiever in a lot of ways, if you will,” he continued before inquiring, “He’s completely driven, but what is Rashad like when he’s not trying to deal in politics and strike deals and try to put out fires and create different things? Who is he, sort of, in the quiet of his own home? And it would be great to see more of that.”
Describing his role on the series, he admires how his character does, “things that you would not think are possible.” He went on, “Councilman Tate makes them possible. He makes the impossible possible, for sure.”
Season 3 of Power Book II: Ghost will see the return of original characters, in addition to a few new faces. The series stars Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick, Clifford “Method Man” Smith as Davis MacLean, Mary J. Blige as Monet Stewart Tejada, Gianni Paolo as Brayden Weston, Woody McClain as Cane Tejada, Lovell Adams-Gray as Dru Tejada, LaToya Tonodeo as Diana Tejada, and Alix Lapri as Effie Morales.
Episode one of season 3 premieres Friday (March 17) at 9 PM EST in the U.S. and Canada. The new season will also be available at midnight on the Starz app. Check out the trailer above.
