Cast Biographies Omari Hardwick
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CAST BIOGRAPHIES OMARI HARDWICK (James “Ghost” St. Patrick) Omari Hardwick has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry with his passion, dedication and undeniable, natural talent. Most recently, Hardwick was seen in BET’s film Middle of Nowhere. Hardwick played the role of Derek who is sentenced to eight years in prison, forcing his wife Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi) to focus on his well-being. The film’s director, Ava DuVernay, was awarded the Sundance Film Festival Best Director in 2012 on behalf of the film. Additionally in television, Hardwick starred in BET’s award-winning series “Being Mary Jane.” Other film credits include Spike Lee’s Sucker Free City, Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass, Andrew Davis’ The Guardian, Bille Woodruff’s Beauty Shop, Phil Joanou’s Gridiron Gang and Joe Carnahan’s The A-Team. Hardwick is also a founding member of Plan B Inc. Theater Group, and a co-founder of Los Angeles Actor’s Lounge. Hardwick also pursues a long-time passion of poetry, having written over 4,000 poems. He currently resides in New York and Los Angeles. LELA LOREN (Angela Valdes) Lela Loren has impressed audiences through her work in film, television, theater, and even the digital space. She continues to show her outstanding range and grace in a variety of projects. Loren was most recently seen in FOX’s “Gang Related” alongside Terry O’Quinn, Jay Hernandez and Ramon Rodriguez where she plays Silvia, caught in a love triangle with the two leads. Last year, she gave a standout performance in the thrilling Summit Entertainment film Snitch where she co-starred alongside Jon Bernthal and Dwayne Johnson. She also appeared in a lead role in the Lifetime television movie Stalkers, opposite Drea de Matteo and Mena Suvari. The film is based on the true story of the prosecutor who authored the stalking law in California. Loren has ventured into comedy as well, appearing in Warner Bros.’ The Hangover Part III and Sony Pictures’ Reign Over Me opposite Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. She also starred in the Bryan Singer-produced web series “H+”, a joint venture with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and YouTube. Loren has guest starred on a number of popular television series including: “The Closer,” “Covert Affairs,” “Lost,” “The Mentalist,” “Chuck,” “NCIS,” “The Unit,” “The Shield,” “CSI: NY,” “CSI: Miami,” “Cold Case,” and many more. In 2009, she gave a raved-about, leading performance on stage in “Boleros for the Disenchanted” written by José Rivera (acclaimed screenwriter of The Motorcycle Diaries). She was hailed as “first among equals” and “a rare find” for her portrayal as Flora. Lela Loren was born and raised in California. She is multilingual: fluent in English, Spanish and Italian. NATURI NAUGHTON (Tasha St. Patrick) Naturi Naughton is a singer and actress best known for her performance as Lil’ Kim in Fox Searchlight’s hit film Notorious and her role in MGM’s remake of the classic film Fame. Naughton has starred in various other projects including Warner Bros.’ Lottery Ticket where she starred opposite Loretta Devine, Ice Cube, Mike Epps and Bow Wow. On the small screen, Naughton is known for her memorable guest performances on “Mad Men,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” as well as her roles on “The Playboy Club” and “The Client List.” She also appeared on Broadway in the Tony® Award winning musical, “Hairspray” for three years. Before her transition into film and television, Naughton was a member of the platinum-selling pop trio 3LW. She was greatly inspired by Whitney Houston as a child and knew by the age of five that she wanted to be a singer and an actress. Naughton was born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University. She believes that her faith, tenacity and fearlessness will give her longevity and continue her prosperous career. JOSEPH SIKORA (Tommy Egan) Joseph Sikora has been establishing himself as an actor who tackles the complexities of both the internal and external life of a character through his ability to speak with any accent and morph into different lives. Just seen in a recurring role on HBO’s “True Detective” as gnarly biker, Ginger, opposite Matthew McConaughey in the now famous six-minute uncut action shot, in Chris Mcquarrie’s Jack Reacher as a soldier who turns inward becoming a killing machine, and in Lionsgate’s Safe as a Russian gangster and nemesis to Jason Statham. Sikora, born in Chicago, studied improv and scored a Joseph Jefferson nomination for one of the many plays he starred in within the prestigious Chicago theater community. He has appeared on and off Broadway in New York and in addition to winning an LA Theatre Ovation Award for the West Coast premiere of Tracy Letts’ “Killer Joe” at the Lost Angels Theater, he was in Neil LaBute’s “Fat Pig” at the acclaimed Geffen Theater. In television he’s been seen guest starring in over three dozen television programs, including the Martin Scorsese directed pilot episode of “Boardwalk Empire,” “Banshee,” “CSI: NY,” “CSI: Miami,” “Criminal Minds,” “Law and Order: SVU,” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and starred opposite Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson in the highly controversial HBO film “Normal.” Sikora was also seen in Scorsese’s Shutter Island and David Schwimmer’s directorial debut, Trust, opposite Clive Owens. Sikora is based in New York City. CURTIS ‘50 CENT’ JACKSON (Kanan) 50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor and actor from Queens, New York. He rose to fame with the release of his 2003 album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” which has sold more than 8 million copies. The Grammy Award winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and has been awarded numerous accolades including: 13 Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards and four BET Awards, to name a few. He was ranked as the #1 rap artist and most successful Hot 100 Artist of the 2000s by Billboard Magazine, as well as that decade’s sixth-best artist and fourth top male artist. On August 25, 2014, 50 Cent and the recently reunited G- Unit surprised fans releasing “The Beauty of Independence” EP at midnight and on March 3, 2015 they released “The Beast is G-Unit” EP. In June 2014, 50 Cent debuted his fifth studio album, “Animal Ambition” and currently, is gearing up for his next studio album “Street King Immortal.” What began as music chart dominance for the rap music phenomenon quickly transformed to success in corporate America as a multi-tiered business mogul to be reckoned with. 50 Cent has also carved out a successful and acclaimed career as an actor and producer. He recently filmed Spy with Melissa McCarthy and Jude Law and Southpaw with Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams, directed by Antoine Fuqua, both films will be released in 2015. In 2005, 50 Cent founded the production company, G-Unit Films and Television, producing a wide variety of content across various platforms. Additionally, 50 Cent is an Executive Producer on the critically acclaimed Sundance TV series “Dream School.” Recognized as one of the most talented and prolific music artists of his time, 50 Cent has managed to leverage his star power into record breaking brand extensions encompassing a broad spectrum of businesses including: artist management, film and television production, footwear and apparel, fragrance, video games, publishing, headphones, health drinks and supplements. SINQUA WALLS (Shawn) Sinqua Walls busted into the acting world with a ten episode recurring arc on the critically acclaimed series, “Friday Night Lights,” portraying Jamarcus Hall, a gifted football player whose parents do not support his sports aspirations. However, Walls is probably best known for his recurring role of Daniel, a handsome college student on ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” He also starred alongside Katharine McPhee in Relativity’s action thriller, Shark Night 3D. No stranger to memorable arcs, Walls has recurred on MTV’s supernatural action hit, “Teen Wolf,” as Boyd, an insecure loner who transforms himself in more ways than one. Additional television credits include “Californication,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Chuck,” “CSI,” “Blue Mountain State” and “Savage County.” Recently, Walls played the legendary role of Sir Lancelot in “Once Upon a Time” as well as performed his own basketball stunts in his role as Devon Langer on “Necessary Roughness.” Walls garnered a Best Lead Actor nomination from the Southern California and Pan African Film Festivals for his performance in The Second Half. Walls recently wrapped the feature Believe Me where he plays the lead role Tyler - the voice of reason in a group of college students who become fraudulent Christian preachers to make money for tuition. In his spare time, Walls generously helps out with the L.A. Foodbank, and tutors and mentors kids through his local church. ADAM HUSS (Josh Kantos) After graduating with a BA in Drama from Binghamton University in NY, studying under Julliard professor Gene Lesser, Adam Huss moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career doing what he loves most: acting in film and television. Before landing the dynamic role of Josh Kantos in “Power,” which ironically brought him back to his place of origin, NY, Huss guest starred on shows such as “CSI: NY,” “Ironside,” “NCIS,” “NCIS: LA,” to name a few. He also can be seen in the independent films The King’s Rook, Is It Just Me?, Resurrection County, Waiting in the Wings the musical and Misirlou. He recently associate produced and was the star of the feature film Find Me, which debuted at the Hollywood Film Festival.