‘The Chi’: Why ‘Power’ Star La La Anthony Chose to Play Dom
Actor and TV personality La La Anthony first became famous as one of TRL’s veejays. Since then, the mother of one has made a name for herself through her countless television and movie appearances. However, La La’s starring role as Lakeisha Grant on Power elevated her to more opportunities.
The Think Like A Man star made her debut on Showtime’s The Chi for its third season. In June 2021, she shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet why Dom should be her next acting gig.
Why La La Anthony agreed to play Dom on ‘The Chi’ after ‘Power’
For six seasons, La La starred on Power as LaKeisha. At the beginning of the series, she was Tasha’s (Naturi Naughton) supportive best friend. However, she became involved in Tasha’s husband, Ghost’s (Omari Hardwick) schemes, when she started dating his best friend, Tommy (Joseph Sikora). During Power’s sixth and final season, LaKeisha’s criminal life haunts her when Tasha shot her to death.
Before Power ended in 2020, La La became a fan of The Chi. As her Starz job prepared to wrap, the actor said she approached The Chi’s creator, Lena Waithe, about appearing on the show. Soon, she learned that Dom’s role was available and fell in love with the character.
“Even when I was on Power, I just thought The Chi was such an incredible show,” La La shared. “I love Lena Waithe, and I think she writes, you know, for us and understands us and just does a great job. So I was always paying attention to The Chi. I always told Lena, when the opportunity presents itself, this is a show I would love to be a part of. So the role of Dom came up, and I auditioned, and I got the part, which was amazing.”
The reason La La Anthony left ‘Power’ as Lakeisha
La La’s final episode on Power took place in Oct. 2019. While she later told Entertainment Weekly that she saw LaKiesha’s demise as an option, filming her last scenes was incredibly difficult.
“That was a tough moment,” La La said of her final Power episode. “Very emotional, very sad.”
“I remember we worked until 7 or 8 in the morning after coming in at like noon the day before, so it was a long, long day, and a lot of physical activity,” she continued. “I like to attempt to do a lot of my stunts on my own, and I ripped off a nail all the way down and my finger was bleeding; there were so many things happening that it just added to the emotions.”
What else is La La famous for?
Throughout the years, La La has gained notoriety for several facets of her life. Since marrying Carmelo Anthony in 2010, they’ve been subjected to infidelity rumors on her husband’s end. However, La La officially filed for divorce from Anthony earlier this year.
Additionally, the former reality star has multiple shows in development, including Intercepted with 50 Cent. La La also posts jaw-dropping photos on Instagram and making videos with friends Ciara and Vanessa Bryant.
The Chi fans can see La La Anthony as Dom Sundays on Showtime.
