'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' star Mekai Curtis talks joining the 'Power' universe and the 'importance' the show has in 'Black households'

• "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" is the second spin-off in the "Power" universe.
• Insider spoke with the show's 20-year-old star Mekai Curtis.
• "I know the hold 'Power' has in Black households right now," he told Insider.

"Power Book III: Raising Kanan," the second spin-off in the ever-growing "Power" universe, is the most ambitious production 50 cent and co. have attempted.

It's not only because of the show's scale - it's a period piece set in 1991 South Jamaica, Queens in New York City - or due to the fact that none of the original show's popular stars feature. But rather because every fan watching the show already knows the deadly fate that awaits the main protagonist.

Kanan Stark - portrayed by co-creator 50 Cent - is killed in season five of the original series. And as a result, "Raising Kanan" isn't able to rely on the blend of spoiler-friendly mystery and thrills that made the original "Power" so popular.

Instead, "Raising Kanan" takes a change of pace and sets its eye on the emotional and psychological journey of its characters, which leaves 20-year-old former Disney child star Mekai Curtis, who has assumed the titular role, with a lot of heavy-duty acting to land.

"Raising Kanan" was renewed for a second season one week before its season one opener, which introduced Curtis as a 15-year-old Kanan and his mother Raq, a cocaine distributor with an emerging drug empire around the city.

Following the news, Insider spoke with Curtis about taking on the role of Kanan, joining the "Power" universe, and navigating the dedicated "Power" fanbase.

Insider: Congrats on the success of the show! It's been very well-received. To start, how did the role of Kanan first come to you?

Mekai Curtis: I was sitting there watching 'Power' one day, watching Michael Rainey do his thing with Naturi [Naughton] and I was thinking, 'I would love to be on 'Power.' I just randomly put it into the universe and then a week later my team hits me and says: 'We've got an audition for "Power" and I'm like: "That's cool."'

At the time, I didn't know the audition was for 'Raising Kanan' or anything. All I knew was that it was 'Power,' and that's what I was super excited about.

You've said that you're a big fan of the 'Power' universe. But when did you first see the show? Because you're 20 right? So you must have been around 13 when it first came out? Were you sneak-watching it?

I was a young buck for sure. I was still lowkey on my Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network when 'Power' first came out. My father was telling me how dope the show was, but I wasn't paying attention to it. But I got older and started watching. The beginning of season four going into season five is when I got into it, and from there, I went back and watched all of it and became a real 'Power' superfan.

Do you remember when you first became aware of 50 Cent?

I was in pre-K. For some reason, this super cool bus driver that I had would always play 'In Da Club' on the school bus! I don't know why but that song was always on and we were bumping to it and I learned the lyrics when I was maybe four. So yeah, I've definitely known about 50 for a minute.

It was fun and challenging. I didn't have 50 around as much as you'd think because he's out here executive producing 12,000 shows and helping out all these other artists with albums and such. So he's out here being the mogul he is.

But the couple of times I have gotten to talk with him and pick his brain, he's super excited about what's happening and it was super dope getting to sit down with him and hear his experiences in situations that happened to him when he was younger that sort of parallel what happened with my character on the show.

The power universe is made specifically for Black audiences and it is a big part of Black culture across the diaspora. Did you think about that during the production process and if so how did it make you feel?

I know the hold 'Power' has in Black households right now and in the Black community, especially for the culture. So there was definitely that immediate feeling of: 'Wow, I'm getting to be a part of this.' Courtney [A. Kemp, executive producer], Sascha [Penn, producer], and 50 are doing such an amazing job of keeping that legacy going with this whole thing. And that was one of the key things because 'Power' is such a staple in this culture. So that was one of the factors when it finally came down to it and they said: 'This is the responsibility you're taking on,' which I will forever love them for trusting me to run with.

Was it a conscious decision following your work as a child actor with Disney to transition into work that is focused on Black stories and Black culture?

Yes and no. I say no because I feel this is just the next natural step in my career and my progression as an actor, performer, and person. I'm older now and can take on more mature pieces that spark conversations. But I also say yes for that reason. Again, this is something I've wanted to do for my entire life in terms of the roles I'm taking on and the conversations that they spark, and the places people put you around. It was a conscious and unconscious move in the chess game that is the entertainment industry.

The 'Power' fanbase is notoriously dedicated and opinionated. You're new to the franchise, so what has the response been like from the fans?

Everyone is showing love. Everyone is enjoying the portrayal. I've gotten a couple of co-signs from OGs, people who really rock down in Queens and know the era for sure. I've gotta tip my hat to Sasha because without him at the helm making sure we pay attention to that detail, we wouldn't be getting the love from the people we made it for.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.