Power’s Joseph Sikora Shares His Dream Casting for Origins Prequel Series — Inspired by Young Sheldon (Exclusive)
Joseph Sikora is revealing his dream casting for the Origins prequel.
At the season 4 premiere of Power Book II: Ghost in New York City on Thursday, June 6, the 47-year-old actor shared his thoughts on who he would like to see step into the shoes of his character, Tommy Egan, in the upcoming spinoff series.
Starz announced the Origins prequel in March, sharing in a press release that the series will explore “the origin story of fan-favorite characters Ghost and Tommy,” who were originated by Omari Hardwick and Sikora.
“I hope they choose somebody who’s as good as the kid who plays young Sheldon [in Young Sheldon],” Sikora said, referring to Iain Armitage, who played the titular role in the Big Bang Theory spinoff, which just wrapped last month following a seven-season run.
“I think that they can do it. It can work,” Sikora continued of nailing the casting of a younger version of Tommy. “They’ve done it before in all their shows, and I think that Young Sheldon is a fun and funny show.”
Sikora also spoke to PEOPLE about how it might feel to bid goodbye to his character Tommy, after playing him in the original Starz series Power and its spinoffs throughout the past decade.
“I try to live more in the present than that,” he said. “In reality, hey, you had guys like Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano who lived to be old, old men.”
“So you never know with Tommy Egan, or it could be his day tomorrow, and I can’t guarantee that Tommy Egan lives past season 3 of Power Book IV: Force, because we don’t know if he’s going to make an appearance in Power Book II season 4 or not,” Sikora continued. “And he has for the first two, at least the season 2 and 3.”
As he reflected on the 10th anniversary of the Power franchise, Sikora said he has “an overwhelming feeling … of gratitude.”
“Anything that lasts 10 years, it’s longer than most Hollywood marriages, so I’m really excited to be here and I’m so grateful,” he said, before giving a shout-out to his former costar, who remains at the helm of the Power universe.
“I’m grateful to [co-executive producer] Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson for being one of the best bosses I’ve ever had in my career, for being loving, kind and accessible and projecting my career to a next level, whether it was in the Power Universe or beyond,” the actor added.
Naturi Naughton, who also attended Thursday’s event, told PEOPLE it feels “amazing” to be marking such a significant milestone for the franchise.
“It feels like a long time coming, to be a part of something so epic. Ten years of creating something that changed the culture and just being celebrated,” said Naughton, who plays the character of Tasha St. Patrick. “It’s really an awesome feeling.”
Michael Rainey Jr., who stars as Naughton’s son, Tariq St. Patrick, noted how he’s spent close to half his life working in the Power world, after first taking on the role at the age of 12.
“With me stepping into it as the young kid I was, I really didn’t know what I was thinking. It literally just grew, and it grew up in front of my eyes, as I was growing up,” he told PEOPLE, adding, “I’m grateful.”
