10 things you did not know about Omari Hardwick

10 Things You Didn't Know About Amari Hardwick Best known for his role as James Ghost St. Patrick on the star's show Power, Amari Hardwick is an American actor who received the recognition he deserved a lot later in his life, finally winning an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Power in 2019. And he's nothing like any of the alter egos he plays on TV. In today's video, we'll look at the 10 things you didn't know about Amari Hardwick. Without wasting any time, let's get straight into the video. Starting off at number 10, he almost turned down the role of Ghost. The day he was to meet with the producers about the role, Hardwick was in the middle of a family tragedy, so he cancelled the meeting. Hardwick explained how he was about to pass on the role that made him what he is today. I had said no initially. I had just put a dog to rest that was very integral to our lives. We had lost a child some years prior, and it was the dog I had gotten for my wife when that happened. It was very special to us. The dog was our first child. And I had put the dog to sleep the day I was to have the meeting about being in Power. I really couldn't do the meeting. He went to the Cayman Islands with his wife, where she reminded him of the cancelled meeting. His manager rearranged the meeting with the creators of the show. Hardwick realized after the meetings that this is the role that was meant for him and no one else could have played Ghost better than he could. At number nine, Omari Hardwick versus the police. Hardwick has had a few unpleasant police encounters which drove him to become the human rights activist he is today. In an interview, he recalled to Whoopi Goldberg how before coming famous, he almost got arrested while living in Los Angeles. Early on, Whoopi, when I was in LA, I was freshly cut from the NFL. I fit the description of a murder suspect. So, I'm just walking down the street, and a cop car pulls up, and it's like seven guns, knees in the back, the neck, the whole thing. The cops set him free when one of the police officers said, he's about six shades lighter than the suspect. Pick him up. Well, it not only happened to him in his struggling days. About two years ago, Hardwick described another incident that happened after the police suiting of Philandro Castile. A cop had an issue with him for no reason, and he faced him bravely and ended up de-escalating the situation. Coming in at number eight, losing his siblings and son. Life tests some people in very hard ways. Hardwick took to his social media to share the loss of three loved ones within the span of three years. Hardwick lost his beloved brother, sister, and very sadly, his first son. His post on social media had an incredibly sad caption. Thought it was ugly losing my son. I thought it was ugly losing my brother at 45 and sister at 33, all within a three-year span. Ugly of hate is. Hardwick's son passed away during the filming of Dark Blue, and he was devastated. Well, after struggling with his bills, to pay for his car and house, building his career, and then losing his loved ones, Hardwick has come a long way. But one thing is for sure, that Hardwick is an extraordinarily strong man who will never give up on anything, whether it be his career, life, or relationship. On to number seven, he's a singer as well. It might be a surprise to you, but Hardwick is a singer as well. He has sung some singles and has been featured in songs by famous artists as well. He prefers to sing jazz and hip-hop rap. He has a single with 50 Cent titled, 50 plus O equals 500. In 2020, he released OV2, which features legendary jazz trumpeter, Keon Harrell. The song also features Omari's daughter, Nova Isi, which is significant because the track pays homage to two icons, both of whom have passed but left behind beautiful daughters and a legacy of being a girl's dad. OV2 is an extension of sorts to Nipsey Hussle's Ocean Views off Slossin' Boy 2. Number six, he's a former athlete. He's been a sports enthusiast since high school and excelled at basketball, baseball, and football, and even played football at the University of Georgia. After college, Hardwick took a defensive back spot with the San Diego Chargers. He became one of the all-time Georgia football lettermen during his time at the University of Georgia, where he minored in acting. Although he was a star on the field, he never gave up his passion for acting. His fellow athletes used to tell him that he needs to pursue his art side. According to Hardwick, I hugely attribute sports to my success in the entertainment business. Being on the field taught me dedication and discipline. I already came from a strict household when I was growing up. Sports just took that to another level. Whenever I approach a set, I always feel as though the cast, crew, director are all part of a team. I always married athletics and art, two huge parts of my life. Let's check out number five, who helped him in tough times. Hardwick mentored the oldest son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington and his wife, Paulette, at Campbell Hall, a high school in Los Angeles where he worked as a sports coach. Denzel and his wife extended a helping hand and gave him $1,500 when he was struggling to make his car payments and didn't want his car to be taken away. But unfortunately, the car got repossessed anyway because he couldn't sustain paying for it. He said, Paulette and Denzel were like my surrogate aunt and uncle. They gave me shelter when I didn't have a place to stay. Through them, I was able to still go to acting classes six hours a week and halfway pursue being a firefighter as a backup. After settling down, Hardwick finally paid them back for their favor and it was a big deal for the couple. They've got the check framed in their house. Further, he took to Instagram to reveal that 50 Cent also lent him $20,000 in his struggling days and he paid him back with interest. Who would believe that the person worth $5 million today didn't have enough money to pay his bills once? On to number four, he was homeless at one point in his life. After Hardwick's football career faltered, he took plenty of odd jobs while trying to act. He worked as a substitute teacher and coach at a day school in Los Angeles. He sold women's shoes at Nordstrom. He worked at a catering hall. He even took the job of a security guard. When he first got an acting job in director Spike Lee's pilot, Hardwick quit all of his odd jobs and left his hometown to start his career in acting. The anticipated project fell apart due to various lawsuits. He was broke, homeless, had no connection. He said that, I thought I was cool. I wasn't doing student films, but a substantial project. We thought it would become a version of The Wire. So it was ironic my moment of homelessness was post my first real acting job. Coming in at number three, he often receives racist comments. It's hard to believe that in today's world, Hardwick and his wife Jennifer Fosch have been subject to continuous criticism for their interracial relationship. Hardwick often gets angry comments and reactions from his fans for marrying a white woman. To be honest, it's very disappointing to see this attitude of people in the modern world. Once he revealed a comment on Instagram under the photo of the couple stating, Love you ghosts. You lost points for marrying white, but we still got you. Hardwick was offended by the racist comment and couldn't let the slur stand. So he replied to that person in a very witty and intelligent manner. He said, I'd prefer you not have me. You just lost all your points with me. Good luck in life. Sometimes Fosch is often thanked by people on her feed for sharing Omari Hardwick with the world. The couple regularly takes to Instagram and celebrates the anniversary of Loving V Virginia. It was the historical and landmark Supreme Court decision made in 1967 that struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage. Number two, he spent time in jail deliberately. The star said in an interview that he spent time in jail to get He went on that he even spent a few nights locked up. He added it was not a plan of the production team. He went there all by himself to understand his character thoroughly, though he made sure that a producer and a warden were looking out for him. Hardwick explained that the stay was not pleasant at all and he could actually hear people screaming at night. He was also asked by Jerry O'Connell, how was the food in prison? To which Hardwick replied, not so good. And finally, number one, a verse maker. Omari Hardwick is a proud poet. He started doing poetry when he was just 14 and believes that poetry has a vulnerability that rap doesn't have. He thinks that poetry takes him to another level of art. He has written over 4000 poems and won the National Poetry Slam twice. Hardwick commented in an interview, I was trying to pay the bills with poems, and it was easy to memorize my poems because I'd be riding my bike in California trying to memorize them before going on stage at a poetry lounge. He started a podcast in 2019 titled Poetics with Omari Hardwick on the Luminary Network, which ranks among top podcasters. The actor interviews different guests, mostly from the hip hop culture in each episode, and guests are encouraged to submit their own pre-written poems that are dissected in the show. He encourages his hip hop guests to leave their masculinity aside and discover their soft side. Well, Omari Hardwick has earned a huge fan base and his life struggles are really a motivation for all of us. 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