Skip to main content

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is focused on the teen years of Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis). Set in Queens, New York, in the ’90s. Kanan is being raised by his drug queenpin mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller), who runs her drug business with her brothers, Marvin (London Brown) and Lou (Malcolm Mays).

Outside of his cousin Jukebox (Hailey Kilgore), Kanan’s best friend is Shawn “Famous” (Anthony Ortiz) Figueroa. Ortiz gave a glimpse inside the boys’ friendship.

Anthony Ortiz wearing a hoodie as Famous in 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan'
Anthony Ortiz as Famous in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ | Starz

Kanan and Famous are best friends in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

While Kanan is focused on figuring out his mysterious parentage and finding out what his mother is really capable of, Famous is focused on getting money and making music. His carefree and rambunctious attitude is why he and Kanan vibe so well.

He’s also been fiercely loyal to the Thomas family, even at the expense of airing out his sister, Jessica’s (Natalee Lienz) dirty laundry.

Inside Famous and Kanan’s friendship

We know that Famous and Kanan’s friendship runs deep. In fact, Ortiz gave some real insight into the two young men and why they continue to be thick as thieves. “I have two favorite parts of our relationship,” the actor told Shadow and Act. “As far as the show goes, I’m super appreciative that they show each of us are dependent on each other without ever speaking on that. It’s not as much as of an ‘Oh, I need you to do this, and I need you to do that relationship as much as it is. He knows me better than anybody else in the show, and I know him just as well, so there are times where we have conversations via telepathy,” said Ortiz. “He’s telling me what he needs to tell me, I’m telling him what I need to tell him, and I think that’s something that will be very relatable to any group of friends that can just talk to each other without having to really say much to get the point across.”

Related

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’: These Hip-Hop Artists Are Making Music for the Show’s Soundtrack

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ may be foreshadowing Famous’ death

Fans who watched the original Power know that Kanan inevitably names his only child Shawn (Sinqua Walls). Though his time in prison led him to miss a large portion of Shawn’s formidable years, it’s clear that he honored his friend Famous by naming his son.

Thus far, Famous has managed to stay on the outskirts of the Thomas family business. However, as we know, the Power Universe loves to kill the most innocent characters.

“Here’s the thing about the big deaths at the end of the season, so what we ask ourselves at the beginning of the season is, ‘Who are the innocent?’” Power creator Courtney Kemp said during a Feb. 2022 Instagram Live. “I know that sounds terrible, but if you think about it, if you are a hardcore Power fan, if you look back, we always off someone who is an innocent. Because the reality of the drug game is that people get hurt. There is collateral damage. The villains don’t always just get hurt. They hurt bystanders all the time, so that’s an important thing. Toward episodes eight, nine, or 10, we will actually kill someone who is an innocent.”

Best in Entertainment