Even though he’s acted in the likes of “Saving Private Ryan,” “Behind Enemy Lines,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “ER,” “NCIS” and “Castle,” Shane Johnson’s talents have really come to the fore in his role as Cooper Saxe in Starz’s “Power” and its sequel and spinoff series “Power Book II: Ghost,” now showing on Starz.
Johnson, who grew up in the small city of Ephrata, Washington, has always loved the fact that he gets to portray such a fiendish character — in fact, he’s been portraying the FBI agent, attorney and major antagonist on the shows for nearly a decade.
“Every good hero needs to have a bad guy. I’d watch ‘Harry Potter’ and my kids would get really mad at Alan Rickman. But he’d blow my mind. That’s the kind of character I’ve always wanted to play.”
From time to time, as “Power’s” popularity has increased, Johnson has even found himself being shouted at on the street by fans of the show who really despise Saxe. “The biggest lesson I’ve had while working on the show is really appreciating the hatred that I get from people,” insists Johnson, who says that he now just sees it as a “standing ovation.”
That even extends to some of the abuse that he receives online. “If someone gets on their computer or reaches out to me and goes, ‘I hate you. I hope you die. I’m livid,’ I really am doing my job.”
It wasn’t always like that, though. Johnson admits that, at the very beginning of “Power,” he was “thrown off” by the hatred that the audience was giving him. Soon, he just began to appreciate that people were actually engaging with the show and responding in such a passionate manner.
“I bring this up because, one of the hardest and actually coolest things about my whole journey as an artist is that I now really embrace the negative energy. Of course, if it becomes personal, then that’s a different issue.”
With “Power Book II: Ghost” now in its third season, Johnson is delighted to see that Saxe continues to be given extra “depth and layers” that not only make him more complicated and enjoyable to portray, but also help to increase the tension.
“I feel like I really understand Saxe. I understand why he’s the way he is. Giving the character a family and that dynamic really informed my performance. I just feel like all the pressure is mounting on my character, both with work and his personal life. Something has got to give.”
As a result, even after a decade, Johnson still finds great enjoyment in playing Saxe, while he also believes that there’s no end is sight for the show. Audiences clearly feel the same way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, after debuting on March 17, the third-season premiere for “Power Book II: Ghost” was watched by more than 5.8 million viewers over its first three days, the largest opening-weekend audience ever for a Starz series.
“It’s great entertainment,” says Johnson when asked about “Power Book II: Ghost’s” success. “But while the lifestyle is awesome — from the fast cars, women, money, outfits, jewelry and whatever — there are also consequences. I just really hope that audiences love the journey. Because I’ve loved making it. Everyone from the whole ‘Power’ universe. I love these people and I’m very thankful for the whole experience. I thank God that I was in the right place at the right time to get this job.”
