‘Power’: Joseph Sikora Says He Based His Character Tommy on 50 Cent
Starz’s Power Universe is one of the most beloved drama franchises on television. The original series debuted in 2014 and focused on James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), one of the biggest drug kingpins in New York City fighting to go legit. Though Ghost attempts to present himself as a nightclub owner and businessman to the world, his undercover life in the drug game keeps seeping forward. In contrast, Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora), Ghost’s lifelong best friend and business partner was never one for hiding who he was.
Volatile and short-tempered, Tommy loved living his life on the dark side. He was ruthless and cared about running his business no matter what the cost to others might be. Over the course of six seasons of Power, Ghost and Tommy’s friendship fractured and frayed as they tried to honor their individual desires and their brotherhood.
Though Power has ended, the Power Universe continues to expand with various spinoffs including the Tommy-centered, Power Book IV: Force. Now, Sikora is revealing more about Tommy and how he portrays the character.
Joseph Sikora plays Tommy on ‘Power’
Menacing, cold, and calculating, Tommy was hardened on the streets of Queens where he grew up. As a drug dealer and ruthless killer, he has no desire to be anything other than he’s not. Though he often acted before thinking, Tommy is also loyal to a fault, even when Ghost put their friendship to the test. As one of the most beloved characters in the Power Universe, Tommy’s leather coat and vintage Ford Mustang were a signature that fans have loved over the years.
Though we cannot imagine anyone other than Sikora as Tommy, the Jack Reacher actor wasn’t originally cast in the role. When Starz first held Power auditions in 2013, the Chicago-born actor was busy working on another project. “I believe that they already had their final choice, but then Omari Hardwick signed onto the project and they had to go through the audition process again. Luckily, this time I was available,” Sikora told Channel 24 via Express.
In fact, the role originally went to actor Andy Bean who starred as FBI Agent Greg Knox in the first three seasons of Power. However, after Hardwick snagged the role as Ghost, Tommy’s role was recast with Sikora taking on the role.
Joseph Sikora says he based Tommy on 50 Cent
Though Sikora has been playing Tommy for almost 10 years at this point, the 44-year-old says he based the character Tommy after Power executive producer/rapper/actor/director Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Sikora talked to Jalen Rose for the New York Post’s Renaissance Man podcast and revealed that he based Tommy’s mannerism on “How To Rob” era 50 Cent.
Sikora revealed that he watched, “dozens and dozens, maybe even hundreds of hours of 50 Cent interviews; that the cadence, word choice, the feeling, the vibe is a lot of it,” he explained. We think Sikora definitely nailed the vibe he was going for.
What is ‘Power Book IV: Force’ about?
Though Power ended with Tommy watching Ghost bleed out on the floor of Truth after being shot by his son Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.), Tommy’s story will continue. He’s already had a guest appearance in Power Book II: Ghost, which centers Tariq’s life in the aftermath of his father’s death. However, the third spinoff in the Power Universe, Power Book IV: Force is all about Tommy.
“I think that it’s going to take all facets of Tommy that we’ve built up to until now to not only survive but to potentially thrive — and to potentially leave,” Sikora told Entertainment Weekly. “You don’t know if it’s going to be one city and then another city and if he’s going to keep bopping or what connections need to be made.”
The series is currently being filmed in Chicago and is slated for release at the top of 2022. “It definitely is in terms of its violence and sexuality very old school Power,” Power creator Courtney A. Kemp told Deadline.
