Asjha Cooper joined the cast of Power Book III: Raising Kanan for the show’s fifth and final season, playing Tiana, a call girl working for Flossie Siegel (Leslie Grossman). Cooper will continue her guest-starring role throughout the remainder of the series, and will then join Power: Origins as a series regular.

The news arrives following the big reveal in last night’s episode that Tiana’s legal name is Jarita, one that will be recognized by longtime fans. The character was originally played by Tasha Smith in the Power mothership series’ second season, and introduced as the mother of Kanan’s (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) only son, Shawn (Sinqua Walls). Smith only appeared in three episodes of the series, never to be heard from again after she received a phone call from Kanan, who confessed to killing their son.

By adding Young Jarita to Raising Kanan, viewers will be able to learn more about this woman who plays a significant role in Kanan’s life.

In a recent chat with Deadline, Cooper revealed she was unaware who she would be playing during the audition process. After booking the job, she received a call from series creator, showrunner and executive producer Sascha Penn about who she would be playing and how important the character is in the Power Universe. Cooper, who had not watched Power, couldn’t grasp the enormity of the casting at the time, but was excited by the challenge of building Jarita’s origin story.

“I still haven’t watched Power, but one of the producers sent me footage of Jarita’s appearances so that I could see how she sounded, how she moved, and who the character was. She was only in one season, so there was like a lot of freedom to play her. I never went back to watch because I still wanted that freedom to find her. I didn’t want to try to be exactly like what I would be seeing. This is the young version of her, and she hasn’t had certain experiences yet to become the woman that she is,” said Cooper.

Due to her limited knowledge of the lore, there were characteristics that guided her transformation.

“She’s a survivor; she’s smart; she’s perceptive, observant, and she’s a baddie,” Cooper shared.

Adding, “This season, you’re gonna see the development of her relationship with Kanan. What you are seeing now is the beginning stages of a tumultuous relationship. You’re seeing puppy love. She has no idea who this man is that she’s getting involved with, but she’s falling for him; she feels safe with him, and time will tell who he really is.”

Tiana/Jarita falling for Kanan is bad news for his estranged mother Raq (Patina Miller), who has just branched off into a new partnership with Flossie and Pino Bernardi (Joe Pantoliano) focused on Manhattan. Flossie, a prolific madam, employs Tiana/Jarita as a sex worker. In Flossie’s new deal with Raq, her ladies now also deliver narcotics to buyers.

Kanan becomes acquainted with Tiana after he books a night with her, knowing she has a connection with his mother. Over some pillow talk the next morning, Tiana starts oversharing about her personal life, including details about her connection with Raq and the big reveal of her birth name. The spark was lit.

Although Cooper only joined Power Book II: Raising Kanan in Season 5, she feels so welcomed by the cast, especially Curtis, with whom she shares a majority of her scenes. She’s also had her eye on Miller, an actress Cooper admires for her talent and work ethic. Miller is one of the badass women who have starred in the Power Universe, a franchise that does a great job of spotlighting strong and fearless female characters. They’ve also included Naturi Naughton, Lela Loren, Mary J. Blige, and Caroline Chikezie, to name but a few.

“A lot of the women that we’ve seen so far on Power have chosen this life. I think what’s interesting about Jarita is she didn’t choose this world; this world chose it. It will be interesting to see how she maneuvers it,” Cooper concluded.

Cooper is represented by Industry Entertainment and Schreck Rose Dapello.

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