Omari Latif Hardwick is an American actor and poet, known for his roles in the TV seriesSaved and Dark Blue, in Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna, The A-Team, Kick-Ass, Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls and as Andre in BET Network's Being Mary Jane. He also played James "Ghost" St. Patrick on Starz's Power.
Early life and education
Hardwick was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Joyce and Clifford Hardwick III, an attorney. Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, Hardwick wrote poetry on a regular basis, and participated in many sports. For high school he attended Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia where he excelled in baseball, basketball and football, which eventually led him to a football scholarship for University of Georgia. Even though he was a star on the field, Hardwick continued in acting and poetry, and thus minored in theater. Hardwick is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Career
After graduation, Hardwick initially pursued a career in football, hoping to join the San Diego Chargers. He declared himself for the NFL Draft, where he was not selected, after which he returned to acting. As a struggling actor, Hardwick did odd jobs in order to pay for acting classes. After being unsuccessful, he started living in his car, and he finally got his break in the 2004 TV movie Sucker Free City. Next, he booked roles in the feature filmThe Guardian and a series regular role in Saved. For the role, he spent two years training as a fireman and a paramedic. In 2002, Hardwick had a quick scene as an extra in Floetry's "Say Yes" music video. In 2003 and 2004, he participated award-winningly in the National Poetry Slam. In 2010, Hardwick became a founding member of "Plan B Inc. Theater Group", and a co-founder of "Actor's Lounge" at the Los Angeles Greenway Theater. He also founded production company "Bravelife Films". Hardwick was also featured in the urban lifestyle publication, Prominence Magazine for its Holiday issue. In 2011, Hardwick received his best film reviews to date for his role as "Troy" in the critically acclaimed indie hitI Will Follow. Hardwick has guest starred on an episode of NBC's Chase as Chris Novak, a hard luck criminal facing prison. In 2013, Hardwick was cast in the lead role of James "Ghost" St. Patrick on the Starzcrime drama-thriller, Power. In 2016, he was featured by a South African rapper, Nasty C on a song titled "A Star Is Born". Hardwick co-starred in the science fiction comedy film Sorry to Bother You, which was released in theaters on July 6, 2018.
Personal life
On November 19, 2008, Hardwick's first child was stillborn and left a huge gap in his life. He dated his then-girlfriend for three years who was Native American and German. While Omari's family embraced her, her family disowned her because she was dating a man outside of her race. He married Jennifer Jae Pfautch in Kansas City in June 2012 and they have two children.
