Exclusive Interview: Akim Black Chats Power Book lll: Raising Kanan

Akim Black has quickly emerged as one of the industry’s most exciting up-and-coming talents. He’s wowed audiences around the world with the layered characters he’s brought to life in projects including Person of Interest, The Resident, Daredevil, and City on the Hill.

Currently, he’s one of the stars of Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Akim about the series, joining the Power family, and the profound impact acting has had on his life.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Akim: My brother and I are nine years apart. I’m older, so I remember I had a vivid imagination. I played by myself a lot before he was born. I had this walk-in closet—that was my playground. It went from a school bus to a castle, whatever adventure I wanted to go on. I just entertained myself for a very long time.

Years later, everyone was watching The Cosby Show. I had a huge crush on Vanessa. I was like, “She’s so cute. I want to be her boyfriend. How do I do that?” [laughs] I was like, “I have to be an actor. I’m going to do that, then.” For a long time, I worked on my acting skills, not knowing what I was actually doing.

A story about it is that I had a lot of issues as a child. I grew up in foster care; I jumped around from foster care to foster care. I turned on the acting skills when I was young. Every new place that I went, I would be someone different to see if they would treat me better.

Once I got to junior high school, I had a teacher who saw something in me and put me in a drama club. She refined my skills and brought all those things that I went through and said, “This is what you’ve been doing all along.” Eighth grade is when I realized that this is something that I can do and make a living from; it wasn’t just entertainment or survival for me.

Ever since then, this is what I’ve wanted to do. I joined the high school drama club. Then, I modeled for a few years because I thought that would be a segue into acting. I figured someone would discover me from doing that. Eventually, I got my first part on a TV show and the rest is history.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Akim: Professionally, there have been a few people. I would say Will Smith has been very impactful. Growing up in the nineties, I was big into hip hop, and he was a hip hop guy. It was inspiring to see him transition into a TV star, then a movie star, and then a motivational speaker. The things that he said spoke to me. It really showed me that you could start from one place and end up somewhere else. That was very inspirational for me in my career.

PC: You landed your first role in 2004. What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew back then?
Akim: Just one? [laughs] Be prepared, know your lines, be malleable, and be flexible for whatever is thrown at you from the director or producer. You have so many creatives behind the scenes who have different goals. The director wants to see one thing. The sound guy wants to see one thing. The producer might want to see one thing. You can’t be rigid on what you plan to do. You got to be able to take a little from each person and try to satisfy each person in that take. I learned that early.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Akim: It would be The Wire. That was my first TV/SAG role. It was one of my favorite shows at the time. It was on HBO and was critically acclaimed. I remember the whole journey of getting that role. I took the bus down there from New York to Baltimore, and I auditioned. I came back, and then a day later they said, “We want you to come back and read again.” Then I rode the bus back, and they said, “Oh, you booked the role!” Two days later, I had to ride the bus back down there again. It was such a process, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve had plenty of roles since then, but I remember the day that I got the call. I remember every detail of that role because it was my first show.

PC: Tell us about Power Book III: Raising Kanan, your character, and what drew you to this role.
Akim: Trez G is a gangster. First of all, I love this show. Being able to be a part of the Power universe in any capacity is satisfying, but getting to play this guy was great.

Growing up in the nineties, I’ve seen these characters; I’ve seen these guys growing up. It’s funny because Trez G could have been me in an alternate universe. In the nineties, you had the drug dealers and the hustlers who were trying to make quick money. It was very enticing to want to do that, but I made a conscious decision not to partake in that type of lifestyle.

Getting to play Trez G is what could have happened if I did take that route in life. I get to see what would have happened if I went that route. I really liked playing the character. I got to lay it all out and live a life that I’ve shunned. I was like, “Let’s put this jacket on and see what comes of it.”

PC: Did you feel any pressure heading into this project just given how large this fan base is and the fact that you were also a fan of the franchise?
Akim: Not really. Like I was saying earlier, I always come prepared. I noticed I was working with some heavyweights: Omar Epps, Bettina Miller. I made sure that I brought my A game and was able to carry my weight. I had tunnel vision. I didn’t look at the overall project; I just tunneled vision on what I needed to bring to my scenes. It blocked out all the noise, and it worked really well for me.

PC: The cast has incredible chemistry. How were you all able to build that?
Akim: We built it by hanging out and being ourselves when the cameras cut. You build that rapport and trust so that when the camera does come on, we know that we have each other’s backs. When the camera’s not rolling, we’re sitting around, cracking jokes, and listening to music.

PC: Is there a particular scene that you’re excited for your fans to see?
Akim: It has to be the first scene you’ll see me in; it’s really crazy. When I read it, I wanted to tell my mom because she went through something similar. I had to pull from her to play that scene. I don’t want to give it away for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but it really stretched me as a person to play that as an actor.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Akim: The Island with Bear Grylls. I ran through Season 1 through 4 in a week—it’s that good. It’s so relevant because of the pandemic and lockdown. We don’t know what the world is going to come to and if a zombie apocalypse is going to come. I’m taking notes.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Akim: It’s cheesy, but Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I freaking love that movie. I know it’s from the eighties, and it was cheesy, but I could watch that over and over. I know all the catchphrases. I can watch it in the background, whenever and wherever I am.

PC: Favorite book?
Akim: [laughs] I’ve been buying so many books during the pandemic. I’ve been on an Amazon shopping spree. Every time I saw a recommended book, I was like, “Let me buy it!”

My favorite book would be an acting book. It’s Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting. It’s like the Bible. You can read it, and some things might go over your head, but then later on, it hits you. There are so many jewels in it.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Akim: A Raisin in the Sun was a great play. I saw it when Sean “Puffy” Combs was in it. He did a great job.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Akim: Korn.

PC: Dream role?
Akim: It depends on the day. Right now, I would love to play a soldier in the future. I just saw Tomorrow War. There’s something about fighting aliens, running through the city, and doing my own stunts.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Akim: Idris Elba. People have said that. He’s a taller version of me. We’ve met in person, and he’s got a couple of inches on me, but why not pick someone taller and more muscular?

To keep up with Akim, follow him on Instagram. Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan on Starz today.

Photo Credit: Khristen Wilson