“Snaps” and “Pop” shake up season three of “Raising Kanan”
After a shocking mid-season shakeup where one of the series’ most beloved characters met their untimely demise, “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” isn’t done with its twists and turns. This season we’ve met Ronnie (Grantham Coleman) who’s been on a destructive rampage after Unique (Joey Bada$$) loses their business to Raq (Patina Miller). And now Ronnie has introduced the audience to Ishmael “Snaps” Henry, played by legendary actor Wendell Pierce, and Stephanie “Pop” Henry, played by actress Erika Woods.
While Ronnie is a cutthroat, vicious villain, Snaps and Pop are cool, calm, and collected matching outfits-wearing retirees. When asked how fans can expect them to wield their power this season, Pierce told the LA Sentinel, “You don’t get to be an OG if you don’t come from a place of knowledge and wisdom. So while others may be afraid of Ronnie, we’ve seen Ronnie before and we know how to handle him. You don’t want this smoke with Snaps and Pop! We wouldn’t have made it this far if we didn’t have some resilience and some ways of conflict resolution of our own.” When the couple is first introduced, it’s the first time we see Ronnie appear to have some humility and reverence for his elders. Pierce adds, “You see the wisdom of our characters through the congenial way that we deal with Ronnie. That informs you more about us than anything.”
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Pierce’s deeply rooted career spans over three decades in television, film, and theater. Renowned for roles such as Detective Bunk Moreland in “The Wire”, trombonist Antoine Batiste in “Treme” and Alderman Ray Price in “Chicago P.D.”, Pierce knows a young thespian dedicated to their craft when he sees it. The Tony Award-nominated actor gives high remarks for his scene partners, especially show star “Kanan”, actor MeKai Curtis. “One of the best things about working with young actors like MeKai is that you get to see them develop as an artist. You get to see them have a hunger and a curiosity about the type of work that they want to do. [You get to see] how they develop a scene and a character and it never lets you rest on your laurels. It keeps you on your toes and it inspires me to the point where I’m not thinking my best days are behind me, I’m encouraged that there are really great days ahead as well. I remember when I was first starting out and I met actors who had been there, I was so thirsty for the knowledge of how to get to where they were. Between takes, I would always ask them questions about the business and how to do it and I see that in MeKai and the other artists on the show.”
When asked her thoughts on joining the series as a notorious power couple, Woods, an alumna of Howard University’s College of Fine Arts said, “I want to thank the writers because the Black love aspect of it is chef’s kiss to me and I don’t think we see enough of it on TV. More than being husband and wife, Pop and Snaps are business partners and that’s part of our success. I think that adds so many great layers to our characters because we’re pretty deadly but with a smile. And some of the best villains serve it with a smile so I love the unexpected.” In regards to Snaps and Pop’s relationship with Ronnie, Woods adds, “We really do care about Ronnie, we just care about our investment more. And I like that aspect of our characters; we have a goal and we’re laser-focused. Our only loyalty is to ourselves and the dollar. I love playing this character. I’m excited for the viewers to see where this is going.”
Regarding the glorification of illicit street culture in the show, Pierce said, “I’ve heard the criticism that we’re only showing the criminality in our communities and I always say that, ‘People are making choices one way or the other and we’re showing that there are consequences to your actions. What we’re showing isn’t arbitrary. We’re showing what could happen with the different choices that you make and for me, that’s what art is supposed to do.” The Juilliard School alum added, “What thoughts are to the individual, art is for the community where we reflect on our condition, see what can happen, decide what our values are, and then go out and act on that to change the community. I like that and that’s why I’m a part of this show.”
With “Raising Kanan” being a prequel within the “Power” Universe, you never know how people are connected, whether it be through business or by blood. In episode 306, Snaps makes a reference to knowing Kanan’s father. When asked if that bit of dialogue was a glimpse into a larger story arc Pierce said, “There’s a great possibility of learning about what their backstory is and that’s the great thing about the world that they’ve created. Just that mention of ‘I know you from the past’, opens up a multitude of possibilities that the writers can have whenever they get around to it.”
New episodes of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” air on Fridays on STARZ.
