Omari Hardwick

Omari Latif Hardwick (born January 9, 1974) is an American actor known for his starring role as James "Ghost" St. Patrick, the protagonist of Starz's Power and his role as Vanderohe in Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead (2021). He is also known for his roles in Saved and Dark Blue, in Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna (2008), Kick-Ass (2010), Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls (2010) and as Andre in BET Network's Being Mary Jane. Early life and education Hardwick was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Joyce and Clifford Hardwick III, an attorney. Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, Hardwick wrote poetry on a regular basis, and participated in many sports. For high school he attended Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia where he played baseball, basketball and football and attended University of Georgia on a football scholarship. Even though he was a star on the field, Hardwick continued in acting and poetry, and thus minored in theater. Career After graduation, Hardwick initially pursued a career in football, hoping to join the San Diego Chargers. He declared himself for the NFL Draft, where he was not selected, after which he returned to acting. As a struggling actor, Hardwick did odd jobs in order to pay for acting classes. After being unsuccessful, he started living in his car, and he finally got his break in the 2004 TV movie Sucker Free City. Next, he booked roles in the feature film The Guardian and a series regular role in Saved. For the role, he spent two years training as a fireman and a paramedic.