Asjha Cooper Cast as Young Jarita in Power: Origins
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Asjha Cooper was revealed as young Jarita in "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Season 5 Episode 4, when her character Tiana tells Kanan her real name during a conversation about their relationship.
- Jarita is established as the future mother of Kanan's son Shawn in the original "Power" series; the character was previously played by Tasha Smith in a minor Season 2 role.
- Cooper will continue as a guest star through the final season of "Raising Kanan" before becoming a series regular on "Power: Origins," which is currently in production in New Jersey with an 18-episode first season.
- "Power: Origins" explores young Ghost, Tommy, and Kanan rising through New York's streets, casting Spence Moore as Ghost, Charlie Mann as Tommy, Zuri Reed as Tasha, and Mekai Curtis reprising Kanan.
- Sascha Penn serves as showrunner and executive producer on both "Raising Kanan" Season 5 and "Power: Origins," with the pilot co-written by Penn and original "Power" creator Courtney Kemp.
- Starz is also developing the "Power" sequel series "Power: Legacy," starring Joseph Sikora and Michael Rainey Jr., rounding out a three-pronged expansion of the franchise.
Why it matters: Cooper's arc connects the final season of "Raising Kanan" directly to the 18-episode "Power: Origins," giving Starz a built-in character bridge between Kanan's youth and Ghost's origin story while positioning Cooper as a franchise-spanning cast member alongside the three parallel shows.
