The POWER of Social Media! In Exclusive Interview 'Power Book II: Ghost' Star Woody McClain Talks About How He Made the Jump From Vine Star to Actual Star!
Power Book II: Ghost features an absolutely incredible cast, ranging from solidified stars such as Larenz Tate and Mary J Blige to self-proclaimed rising stars such as LaToya Tonodeo. The rise to fame and acclaim in Hollywood is a uniuqe and interesting path for everyone. Such is the case with current Power Book II: Ghost star and former Vine celebrity Woody McClain. McClain rose to fame through his videos created on the original six second entertainment app.
He currently takes on the intense and demanding role of Cane Tejada. In a world fully immersed in the plight of the social media celebrity, many are left wanting to ask McClain how he did it. How did he make the jump from social media star to actual Starz star? Lucky for you, we did ask him. We were fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with Woody McClain, Berto Colon, and Daniel Sunjata and get some answers!
Making the deceptively large leap between TikTok fame and life as a working actor is a puzzling one for many. McClain's best advice for how to navigate the jump? Take a class. "I would say, acting class. I think a lot of people skip that part. You know what I mean? Like, training." Sanjata laughed loudly at this remark: not because it's ridiculous, but because it is absolutely true. McClain continued:
I see how people would think 'Okay, I'm getting millions of views on my six-second video, like, now I can do a movie, I can just jump into it and do it, but it's a lot. It's a lot that goes into it, man...I'm so happy I had great mentors like Layla Odum, you know what I mean? Dustin Felder, RIP, that were like, 'Yo, get into class. Study. Actually learn the craft.' So that way I was kind of prepared when I got my big opportunity.
Becoming a major part of the Power universe is not something any of the three stars take lightly. All of them attribute the success of the world and their characters to the show's creator, Courtney Kemp. "Pretty much every moment you have with Courtney is meaningful on some level," Sunjata exclaimed. McClain and Colon fully agreed. One of the most powerful things Kemp did was trust her actors. Colon remarked that Kemp's questioning, trusting the actors with her creation, asking "What do you think of that?" made all of the difference. "She is very giving in that way." Her givingness and openness are what has allowed the world of Power to be as powerful as it is.
Power Book II: Ghost premieres on Starz on November 21st.
