Power Book IV: Force interview: Kris D. Lofton and Adrienne Walker tease Jenard and Shanti's future
At the start of Power Book IV: Force Season 3, Jenard Sampson and Shanti “Showstopper” Page seemed like a united front. They had a plan in mind for how to topple Jenard’s brother Diamond and Tommy Egan, and seize control of Chicago’s drug game for themselves. But as the Starz drama has gone on, cracks are showing clear as day.
Actors Kris D. Lofton and Adrienne Walker joined TVBrittanyF.com to talk about where Jenard and Shanti find themselves. How do they see their characters now? The duo also spoke about their favorite moments fromPower Book IV: Force Season 3, including some that are just on the horizon.
Brittany Frederick: Kris, how would you describe Jenard’s point of view this season? He’s clearly loyal to Shanti almost to a fault, but he also cares about his brother, and it doesn’t seem like those two things can coexist.
Kris D. Lofton: Jenard’s mindset this season is trying to make amends, and also trying to stay above ground. His mindset is survive. And also he’s playing so many different sides. Jenard is being pulled from so many different angles by so many different people.
I think Jenard’s mindset is to just stay the course, but ultimately get what it is that he wants, and he does genuinely want that connection with his brother back. I don’t think that there’s any ulterior motives with that. I think that he truly does.
And there’s moments when him and Shanti battle with that, because Jenard is starting to come to the realization like, wait a minute, maybe we don’t have to take this route. Maybe it doesn’t have to go this way. So I think that’s Jenard’s frame of mind—just truly starting to think for himself and after what he really wants, and not what everybody wants for him.
Adrienne, you’ve now played Shanti for longer than any other TV character you’ve inhabited. And in the Power universe, that’s even bigger because so much happens in every episode. So what has it been like for you to grow with Shanti?
Adrienne Walker: It’s been a pleasure, because at the start of it all, I was still discovering her. Now—at least when we were filming towards the end of Season 2 and all of Season 3—it felt more lived in, and it felt like I really could understand her motives for why she was so calculated with everything… Just diving into what her backstory is and making that truthful and honest, to me, really served my character to have a richer performance. So it’s been great to have two seasons with the same character. It’s been awesome.
What have been some of your favorite moments in Power Book IV: Force Season 3? Did anything jump off the page to you in this last batch of episodes?
Lofton: We shot this so long ago that I truly, truly don’t remember half of the stuff that happened… I’m so invested, just like the fans [and] the general public. I’m ready just to watch it in real time with y’all as well. To actually have those moments of yes, that did happen. We did do that. I did shoot that. Jenard did do that.
But if I can remember, if my memory serves me correctly, I’m gonna go Episode 9. I’m ready for people to see Episode 9.
Walker: I am ready for people to see Episode 7, because I feel like that’s her episode. That’s where we see a lot of a lot of her come through in ways that we haven’t yet. So I’m excited about [Episode] 7.
Power Book IV: Force airs Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Starz. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Starz.
Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
