Omari Hardwick may be turning heads now as a big named actor, but it wasn't long ago that he found himself in a financial struggle, homeless and living in his car. That same car was on its way to repossession until another powerhouse actor, who Hardwick sees as an uncle, stepped in to pay the debt on the car.
Hardwick has graced the big and small screens and captured the admiration of many fans for his character portrayals, especially in his STARZ original series Power, where he plays Ghost, a cutthroat, no nonsense drug dealer who is willing to go above and beyond to remain in control of his surroundings. But, according to Hello Beautiful, there was a time in Hardwick's real life when he had no control over what was going on, and almost hit rock bottom.
The 42-year-old recently spoke with The Real cohost Lonni Love and opened up about his struggles after landing his first gig in a Spike Lee production and then going broke soon after. Sucker Free City was supposed to be the opportunity that landed Hardwick on his feet, but the production didn't head in the direction that it was originally intended to.
"I sort of transitioned into getting an agent, and the whole thing, doing all these odd jobs [and] pursuing fire fighting as a backup...," Hardwick said of his days trying to break into acting. "On the day that I said no to the fire department was the day that Spike Lee offered me my first gig. ...It was great. We shot in in San Fransisco and then I went broke after that."
The actor explained how Sucker Free City was supposed to be a series, giving him more than just one pay check, but it turned out to be a "one-shot deal" that soon left him living out of his car and taking showers at local YMCAs.
Hardwick explained how it was the help of actor Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta that stopped the repossession of his vehicle, according to The Root. The actor explained how he had unofficially been taken in by the family as a relative and viewed the Washingtons as his aunt and uncle. His relationship with their son, John David, who currently stars in the HBO series Ballers, is what opened the door to his new extended family.
According to Hardwick, the Washingtons "perfectly and appropriately didn't help [him] out" by making it easy for him, but they did give him shelter when he didnt' have a place to stay. And with Denzel's approval, "Aunt Pauletta" paid the debt on his vehicle in an effort to help him keep his transportation.
Hardwick remembered the day he was able to repay his debt to the Washingtons.
"...When I paid him that check back it was big," explained Hardwick. "They framed that check."
