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Courtney Kemp: From Getting Fired to Creating the Power Universe | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Jun 29, 2026
Ever wondered what it takes to build a television empire like the Power Universe? Join us for an exclusive sit-down with the legendary Courtney Kemp as she reveals the secrets behind her storytelling and her journey from Connecticut to Hollywood. This is a must-watch for any fan of gritty drama and masterful character development.
In this deep-dive interview, Courtney discusses her transition from print magazines to becoming one of the most influential showrunners in the industry. She opens up about the lessons learned from getting fired early in her career, the advice from her father that fueled her fire, and the intricate process of creating complex characters like Ghost and Tommy. We also explore her new Netflix series, Nemesis, and why she continues to prioritize authentic representation for the community.
Courtney shares her experiences working with icons like Bernie Mac, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Method Man. She breaks down the psychology of why we root for the criminal and explains the importance of actions over words in her writing. Plus, she addresses the age-old question every Power fan wants to know: is Ghost really dead?
Chapters
0:00 Welcome Courtney Kemp to the show
2:45 From magazines to the Bernie Mac Show
5:15 Proving her father wrong and early sacrifice
8:00 The professionalism of Bernie Mac
10:45 The psychology of Ghost and reinvention
13:30 Raising Kanan and Joey Bada$$
16:15 Rappers as actors and Method Man
19:30 Courtney Kemp’s top five rappers
22:15 Is Ghost alive? Addressing the rumors
25:45 The talent of Makai Curtis
28:15 Instincts and being a woman boss
31:00 Creating Nemesis on Netflix
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:01
Wow, man.
0:02
>> [applause]
0:03
>> I have to say, you know, there's
0:07
>> [applause]
0:08
>> a few events that happen when you when
0:11
you when you when you watching
0:12
programming that stick with you for for
0:15
a long period of time and
0:18
one of the franchises that really
0:21
captured my attention where I had be
0:24
rushing home
0:25
to see a new episode anytime it happened
0:28
was any and everything that came out of
0:30
the Power Universe franchises, right?
0:32
Get at a round of applause, right? And
0:35
you often wonder how often can somebody
0:37
just keep delivering excellence
0:40
time after time after time from The
0:42
Bernie Mac Show to Beauty and the Beast
0:44
to The Good Wife to Power to the whole
0:47
franchise to now
0:49
Nemesis that you could find on Netflix
0:52
that I finished watching a long time ago
0:54
front and back. You wonder what what
0:57
does it take to maintain and sustain
0:59
that kind of quality and that kind of
1:01
success. And I think a lot of it has to
1:04
do with preparation sacrifice
1:07
dedication, commitment, and experience
1:10
and a love for your craft. And today we
1:13
have a critically acclaimed TV writer,
1:16
producer, showrunner
1:19
just a very imaginative person whose
1:21
imagination have captured all of ours
1:24
and someone every time I see her
1:25
speaking about her craft does it with a
1:28
smile and with so much joy and I'm happy
1:31
to have her on our show today. And so I
1:34
want to welcome her and say welcome to
1:36
the show. Give it up for the one and
1:37
only Courtney Kemp, ladies and
1:39
gentlemen.
1:40
>> [applause]
1:41
>> Thank you for having me.
1:42
>> Absolutely. Let me push that mic up on
1:44
you real quick.
1:45
>> Like here?
1:45
>> Like that's good. How do you How do you
1:47
How does it sound to you?
1:48
>> Sounds great.
1:48
>> I mean you you DO THIS, RIGHT?
1:50
>> [laughter]
1:50
>> I DO, BUT I THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE MIKED,
1:53
NOT ME.
1:53
>> NO, you're not miked, right? But you
1:55
know what? It sounds good, right?
1:56
>> Yeah, yeah, exactly, Exactly.
1:57
>> Well, Courtney, welcome to the show.
1:59
Tracy G is in New York right now.
2:01
>> Hey Tracy, it is such a pleasure to make
2:02
your acquaintance. You are
2:04
>> Lovely to meet you as well.
2:05
>> You are one of today's most captivating
2:08
storytellers, sincerely.
2:10
>> Thank you.
2:10
>> So, so inspiring.
2:12
>> Thank you. I appreciate that. I I really
2:14
want to inspire people who look like us
2:16
and brown folks, you know what I mean?
2:19
To say that you can do it, too. So,
2:20
that's what I'm here for.
2:21
>> Well, your success um screams that out
2:23
loud that you can do it, too. And in uh
2:26
in a in the stories that you tell, I
2:28
think the reason why we are so
2:29
captivated because now we see ourselves
2:32
and the nuance that's being displayed is
2:35
correct. If you know what I mean? The
2:37
nuances are accurate. Most people got to
2:40
meet you through Power, but what what
2:43
were you doing prior to Power? What led
2:45
up to Power?
2:46
>> Oh, well, okay. So, I started out in
2:48
magazines. So, I was working in
2:51
Mademoiselle and then in GQ.
2:53
Uh but I was writing for Vibe. Um
2:55
>> [laughter]
2:55
>> I was doing kind of
2:57
uh little uh freelance pieces for Vibe
3:00
and stuff like that. Uh I was loving
3:01
music. Um and then when I moved over
3:06
from magazines, at first I wrote the
3:08
J.Crew catalog. I am from Connecticut,
3:10
by the way. It is unbelievable that I do
3:12
all this hood [ __ ] right now because
3:13
>> [laughter]
3:14
>> I am I mean,
3:15
if you can see me, like I even dress
3:17
like I'm from Connecticut. Like it just
3:18
is what it is. But I um
3:21
I
3:21
>> [laughter]
3:22
>> Yes, yes. I'm multi-layered like our
3:23
people. But um
3:25
but my dad was always into like gangster
3:28
[ __ ] so that's what I ended up watching
3:30
growing up and you know, watching
3:32
Scarface or watching The Sopranos as a
3:34
kid and things like that. And so, I was
3:36
really interested in uh the darker
3:38
world. So, when I came over to
3:41
television, and again, very, very
3:42
grateful that that happened, I started
3:44
on The Bernie Mac Show specifically
3:46
because they wanted someone who could
3:49
talk about the black experience in a
3:50
white neighborhood, which those kids
3:52
were hood kids who were being raised in
3:54
Encino, which is where I am now.
3:56
>> [laughter]
3:57
>> Wow.
3:58
>> Yeah, yeah, talk about full full circle.
3:59
Full circle. Full circle. But yeah, for
4:01
for sure. So, you know, I started in
4:03
comedy, got fired. This is very
4:05
important. It's a really important part
4:06
of my story. I got fired from Bernie Mac
4:09
for not being funny, and I it's really
4:10
important that kids understand that like
4:13
you can get fired and it can all work
4:14
out fine. Sometimes you're in the wrong
4:15
place.
4:16
>> Yeah.
4:16
>> Mhm.
4:16
>> I needed to be writing one-hour drama.
4:18
Like I put funny stuff in my in my
4:21
shows, but it's never That's not the
4:23
point. The point is, you know,
4:25
blowing things up.
4:26
>> Yeah, but but but but how did that make
4:28
you feel and and how did you convince
4:31
yourself that well, what you feel about
4:33
me is not what I feel about myself and
4:35
I'm going to stay on this course?
4:37
>> Several things, but it's interesting
4:39
actually. Um it was just Father's Day.
4:41
>> Yeah.
4:41
>> Uh happy Father's Day to all the fathers
4:43
out there. Um and to the single moms.
4:46
Uh but I will say that uh my dad, when I
4:49
moved out here, uh my father died in
4:51
2011. Um
4:53
and the first episode of Power is
4:54
dedicated to him actually. If you go and
4:56
look, it's at the end. But my dad said
4:58
to me, "Don't move to California to be a
5:01
television writer, cuz you'll never make
5:02
it. They're never going to let you do
5:04
that. So, you're going to just have end
5:06
up moving back here in a year." And so I
5:08
had this fire under me like I got to
5:10
prove my dad wrong.
5:11
>> [laughter]
5:12
>> Cuz I had moved across country and I had
5:14
done all these things, sacrifices to
5:17
move here and do it. So I had to make it
5:19
work because I couldn't let him be
5:21
right. Now I know that sounds crazy, but
5:22
actually anyone doubting you, no matter
5:24
who it is, um my my fiance, Tony
5:27
Morales, my co-creator,
5:28
>> What's up, bro? What's up, Tony? I see
5:30
you.
5:30
>> Yeah, he's amazing. Um he made me watch
5:32
like The Last Dance and be like, "Look,
5:35
Michael Jordan had to get mad. You know
5:37
what I mean? At somebody so that he
5:38
could make it make it rock." Like
5:40
sometimes you have to have that, like
5:41
somebody doubting you. So, doubt in
5:44
yourself, you're always going to have
5:45
that, but let somebody else say it. You
5:47
know, you can't talk about my You can't
5:48
talk about my sister. I can talk about
5:49
my sister. It's like if you tell me I
5:51
can't do it, all right, I'll show you.
5:53
>> Yeah.
5:54
Damn. Wow. Damn. That's big. A round of
5:57
applause for that.
5:58
>> [laughter]
5:58
>> Somebody told you dad told you that.
6:00
>> Yeah.
6:00
>> Um Bernie Mac, I I got to ask. I'd be
6:03
remiss if I didn't. I was such a huge
6:05
fan of Bernie Mac and I and I thought he
6:07
was brilliant. I thought he's a
6:09
he was a genius and we we've seen him
6:12
give birth to a lot of other people's
6:13
careers.
6:14
>> Absolutely.
6:14
>> What Can you recall working with him at
6:17
all?
6:17
>> Absolutely. So, I was terribly
6:19
intimidated.
6:20
>> Mhm. [snorts]
6:20
>> Um he was really funny.
6:24
But when I first met him, the first day
6:26
I met him, we had a the writers room got
6:28
together and he saw me and I was, you
6:32
know, 20, maybe 27.
6:34
And he looked at me and he was like,
6:36
"You light-skinned."
6:37
You
6:38
I was [laughter] like,
6:39
"Yeah." And he's like, "My My daughter's
6:41
dating a light-skinned dude. I don't
6:43
like light-skinned people." And then he
6:44
did like 10 minutes on light-skinned
6:46
people, like just off of seeing me and I
6:49
was like dying. You know, I was a little
6:50
kid, but it was so funny that I was
6:52
like, "Oh, okay." I started to see the
6:54
mind of the comic and how fast he was.
6:58
Um he was so generous. That's one thing
7:01
people don't know if you don't work He
7:02
was so generous. He was so loving. He
7:03
was so kind. He really believed in
7:06
supporting younger people. He was
7:09
a great dude. Like honestly, he was a
7:11
great person. And so professional.
7:14
>> Yeah.
7:14
>> So professional. On time. Knew his
7:16
lines. Supported those kids. You know,
7:18
he was great. Great dude. Great man.
7:20
>> I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad you had
7:22
that experience. Courtney A. Kemp, but
7:25
is it hyphenated now?
7:26
>> Uh what? My last name?
7:28
>> Yeah.
7:28
>> No, I Okay, so I was married to someone
7:32
whose last name is Agbo.
7:33
>> Okay.
7:33
>> Um and I'm not married now, but I'm
7:35
engaged to Tony. So, eventually I'll
7:37
probably be Maroney, but you know,
7:39
>> Yeah.
7:39
>> Yeah. Who knows?
7:40
>> Yeah.
7:41
Eventually. You know, with your with
7:42
your professional name they tell you not
7:43
to change it too much. So, yeah.
7:45
>> you going to stick to that. Uh Tracy,
7:47
you want to jump in?
7:47
>> Yes, of course. Courtney, I feel like
7:50
you are so stellar at understanding
7:52
human behavior and like really
7:55
complicated family dynamics. And so many
7:57
of your characters, um they try to
8:01
become someone new while still
8:03
constantly being pulled back by who they
8:06
used to be. I would just love to know
8:09
from your perspective in shaping these
8:11
characters, why do you think reinvention
8:13
is so difficult for most people? And
8:15
what's required to make it happen? It's
8:17
to make it stick.
8:19
>> Oh, well, I think the most important
8:21
thing is that you have to understand
8:22
that you have a problem before you can
8:24
fix the problem. And I think a lot of
8:26
people are outcome-based. So, they're
8:28
like, "I'm not making enough money." So,
8:30
they try to solve the problem of not
8:32
making enough money instead of going,
8:34
"How am I working in a way that doesn't
8:36
allow me to get promoted?" Or how am I
8:39
looking at my career path in a way that
8:43
it doesn't allow me to grow? Not about
8:46
outcome. People are always about
8:48
outcome.
8:48
>> Mhm.
8:49
>> And I think if you do the inner work,
8:51
then the sky's the limit. But if you
8:53
don't do the inner work and you're just
8:55
looking at the outside, it's not going
8:57
to it's not going to come to fruition
8:59
for you. Um and I I'll use for example,
9:02
let's just use Ghost, the character
9:03
Ghost
9:04
from Power. So, he's like, "I'm going to
9:06
go legit." That's his whole idea is
9:09
like, "I'm going to go legit because
9:10
actually I'm James St. Patrick." Well, I
9:12
always wrote that character from a place
9:14
of, "No, sweetheart, you're you're
9:16
delusional. You are Ghost. James St.
9:18
Patrick is an idea that you once had,
9:20
right?"
9:20
>> Yeah.
9:21
>> So, instead of going inside and going,
9:23
"Yeah, oh, I guess I actually am evil.
9:25
Maybe I should just stay in this evil
9:27
lane cuz I'm quite good at it." He was
9:28
like, "No, I'm going to try to change
9:30
the outside of what I do." But that
9:32
didn't work because he never changed his
9:34
inside.
9:34
>> Damn.
9:35
>> changed his inside.
9:37
Courtney's here, guys. Courtney's here.
9:39
This is the time to ask your questions.
9:40
888-742-3345.
9:45
You see that a lot, too, um,
9:48
in
9:49
Raising Kanan.
9:50
>> Mhm.
9:50
>> You know, and I I love that series, as
9:53
well. And I'm thinking of Joey Bada$$'s
9:56
character,
9:57
Unique, right? Who
9:59
>> who and then Uncle Lou, right? Uncle Lou
10:02
was trying to get out of the game.
10:04
>> Aw.
10:04
>> And Unique was like, "I'm trying to stay
10:07
in the game."
10:07
>> Listen, Unique understood who he was,
10:10
right? I have to first before we talk
10:12
about Kanan, I have to say give all
10:14
props to Sascha Penn, who is the
10:15
showrunner. Yeah, Sascha's an incredible
10:18
writer. He worked on the first season of
10:19
Power.
10:20
>> Uh-huh.
10:20
>> Um, and then when we started to do this
10:24
show, he came in and he just these
10:26
characters are so amazing. One of my
10:28
favorite characters is Rock, for obvious
10:29
reasons. I might be a little bit like
10:31
that.
10:31
>> Yeah.
10:32
>> [laughter]
10:32
>> Yeah. But, uh, yeah. But, you're
10:33
absolutely right. When characters try to
10:35
change in the Power universe,
10:37
specifically, the Power universe is all
10:39
caught up in are you your actions
10:42
>> Mhm.
10:43
>> or are you this idea of who you are? And
10:45
you know, we talk about that, like how
10:47
how, you know, actions speak louder than
10:49
words. But, like actions actually do
10:51
speak louder than words. Are you on
10:53
time? Do you know what you're supposed
10:55
to do? Like, who are you? And the world
10:57
is all about action.
10:58
>> Mhm.
10:59
>> You know, just like if you walk in your
11:00
front door and your kid runs to you and
11:02
puts their arms around you, that's not
11:03
because of just that day. That's because
11:05
of the actions you took the day before.
11:07
You know what I mean? So,
11:09
but anyway, yes, to go your to your
11:10
point, you know, all of those people,
11:12
whether it's Lou or Marvin, Rock, they
11:15
all have and Unique is
11:18
Joey Bada$$ is just he's he's
11:19
>> else.
11:19
>> He is captivating, man. I could You just
11:21
put the camera on him and it just works.
11:23
>> works. When when Kendrick did a guest
11:25
spot, what was that? I mean, cuz I love
11:27
seeing
11:29
the reason why I like seeing Kendrick,
11:31
50,
11:32
Joey um
11:34
do these roles is because for so for so
11:36
long rappers got pigeonholed and um they
11:40
they got limited. Like if if you're a
11:42
rapper, you can't do anything else,
11:44
right? You can't express your artistic
11:47
freedom in any other medium. And I think
11:49
they all did such an excellent job.
11:51
>> Okay, I could not agree more. I have so
11:53
much to say about this, but let's First,
11:55
let's start talking about 50.
11:57
>> Okay.
11:57
>> 50 is a great actor. 50 is um incredibly
12:02
professional. Like one of the things
12:03
that people don't know about him is like
12:05
when he we first started working
12:06
together, he was the one who kept the
12:08
actors kind of on track. He was always
12:10
doing that part of it cuz I was so busy
12:12
like writing and like, you know, sort of
12:14
sitting over my laptop trying to figure
12:16
out how to make that story work. He was
12:19
in really involved, especially with the
12:20
male actors and like, "Hey, this is how
12:22
you have to be." He always showed up
12:23
with his lines. He knew what he was
12:24
doing.
12:26
Kendrick, unbelievable, showed up not
12:28
only knew what he was going to do, but
12:31
how to take on the character. He was so
12:33
He was so wonderful, like so wonderful
12:36
to work with. I would love to work with
12:37
him again. He was everything you would
12:39
expect from Kendrick Lamar.
12:40
>> Yeah, everything you would expect.
12:41
>> Everything you would expect, you know,
12:42
showed up, had his uh his wife with him,
12:45
was so lovely and just professional and
12:48
ready to work. And we had to do some of
12:50
that stuff outside. So there were people
12:52
who were in the apartment building
12:53
across the street yelling at Kendrick
12:55
and like he didn't break character. He
12:56
was unbelievable. But one person I would
12:59
love to talk about that you didn't
13:00
mention,
13:01
>> Method Man. I was going to come back to
13:02
Meth. I was I was saving Meth for last.
13:04
>> M E T H O D Man.
13:08
Okay, so when he came in, uh
13:10
he auditioned for Davis MacLean.
13:12
>> Yeah.
13:13
>> That wasn't just like I wrote that part
13:14
for him and I was like, "This is who I
13:16
want." And he was not a conventional
13:18
choice to play an attorney. He'd been
13:20
playing pimps and gangsters and all this
13:21
stuff and I was like, "But I know this
13:23
man and I want a I want this kind of cuz
13:27
he was supposed to be a combination of
13:29
like Johnny Cochran and Bruce Cutler.
13:31
Like somebody who was like, you know,
13:33
super swag on the Bruce Cutler side a
13:35
little bit more like I can hang out with
13:37
the gangsters. I can be And so I'm like,
13:39
I want this belief in Method Man, but I
13:42
also want somebody who can like wear a
13:43
suit and feel confident and perform
13:46
because trial attorneys are performers.
13:49
The jury is the audience.
13:51
>> [sighs and gasps]
13:52
>> Cliff is captivating.
13:54
>> I'm glad you calling Cliff too because I
13:56
think that
13:58
that's the case to me of somebody
14:00
opening the door giving a MC an
14:02
opportunity to show that to be an MC you
14:05
have to be multi-faceted and
14:07
multi-layered, right?
14:08
Yeah, every song, every verse, you know,
14:11
it's like a scene, right? And so we all
14:14
watched him uh
14:17
just blossom into something different in
14:20
that role that you wrote for him. So for
14:23
thank you for that. You're a hip-hop
14:24
head. Who's your Who's your top five?
14:26
>> OH GOD.
14:27
>> [laughter]
14:28
>> OKAY,
14:29
MY KID IS GOING TO BE SO embarrassed
14:31
when he hears this, but okay.
14:33
So
14:35
Jay-Z
14:35
>> Okay.
14:36
>> Yeah, you know, I just I love I
14:37
>> You can say that with pride.
14:39
>> Okay, but see because you're from
14:41
Connecticut you try not to like
14:43
rap. You know what I mean? Cuz it's not
14:45
it's not cute.
14:46
>> Okay.
14:48
>> Tupac,
14:49
let's see.
14:52
God, it's just
14:53
M
14:54
>> M&M
14:55
>> Mhm.
14:55
>> Welcome to Shade 45.
14:56
>> [laughter]
14:57
>> I MEAN, I CAN'T WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOU
14:59
GOING TO DO? Like
15:00
>> Tupac, Jay-Z, M. Why you being
15:02
apologetic?
15:03
>> Just because just because
15:04
>> That's Connecticut? That's a Okay, all
15:05
right, okay.
15:06
>> You know what I mean?
15:07
Um but let's see. Top Funny, I never
15:10
even think about this.
15:12
Um
15:13
Bahamadia
15:13
>> Okay.
15:15
Philadelphia stand up, right?
15:16
>> Yeah, yeah. And then I guess, you know
15:18
what? The Roots crew. Just I love I love
15:20
their stuff.
15:21
>> Black Thought? Black Thought, exactly. I
15:23
I did go through a period, you know
15:25
what? I actually am forgetting
15:26
something. I should have said De La Soul
15:28
first.
15:29
>> Mhm.
15:29
>> I should have said De La Soul first.
15:31
That's what I should have said. And then
15:32
I can say Jay-Z, not because of any kind
15:35
of who's better or whatever, but De La
15:36
Soul changed my life because I was in
15:39
Westport, Connecticut. I was not around
15:42
a lot of black people, and when I first
15:44
heard De La Soul is dead, I WAS LIKE,
15:46
"OH!
15:47
OH, I understand who I am now in a
15:49
different way."
15:50
>> Yeah.
15:50
>> So, uh I have to give props there. Yeah.
15:53
>> Courtney, I like her top five, all
15:55
right, with the De La Soul mention.
15:58
Um we talk we're talking with Courtney
16:00
Kemp. 888-742-3345.
16:03
Chuck is on the line from Kentucky.
16:05
Chuck, welcome to the show.
16:06
>> What's up, Chuck?
16:07
>> What's going on, y'all, bro?
16:08
>> What up, man? You didn't think you was
16:09
going to make it, huh? What up?
16:10
>> No, I didn't think so, bro, but I I just
16:12
had a feeling God was going to put me
16:13
through the window, man. So, I I I'm a
16:14
firm believer of that, bro. But, I got
16:16
one question for you though, man. And
16:18
one question only. Is Ghost alive?
16:21
>> Oh, man.
16:23
>> Be real with me though. Be real. Y'all
16:24
brought Tommy back from the dead. Is
16:25
Ghost alive or or something? [laughter]
16:29
>> [sighs and gasps]
16:29
>> I will just say this.
16:33
How do I say this?
16:34
When we wrote what we wrote, Ghost was
16:38
dead. But,
16:39
>> Okay.
16:39
>> the thing the thing is, so he's in as
16:42
far as canon, Ghost is dead. Absolutely.
16:44
There is no debate about that. That's
16:46
Ghost is dead, that's canon. However,
16:49
the the Power universe works both
16:51
forwards and backwards. So, I can't say
16:54
to you you'll never see Ghost again.
16:56
Do you understand what I'm saying?
16:57
[laughter]
16:58
>> Yeah.
16:58
>> The Power universe works forwards and
17:00
backwards, so I can't tell you because
17:02
it doesn't work in just one direction.
17:05
So, I can say that to you. Ghost is dead
17:08
in a present timeline,
17:10
um for all those, you know, all those uh
17:13
nerds out there, Earth 828, Ghost is
17:15
dead. But, maybe maybe in one of the
17:17
other timelines or in another way to
17:20
dramatize him, you'll see him again.
17:22
>> Wow, man. I love that accent.
17:24
>> Hey, I'm I'm a first time caller, long
17:26
time listener, though, man. Hey, Sway,
17:28
if you could do me a favor, bro, I'm I'm
17:30
only 28 years old. I just opened up my
17:31
business in April. It's called Stay
17:33
Blessed Barber Shop here in
17:34
Campbellsville, Kentucky, man. If you
17:36
could shout that out for me or just look
17:37
us up, man. Do us a follow or something,
17:39
man. I'll greatly appreciate
17:40
>> What's it called? What's it called?
17:42
>> It's called Stay Blessed Barber Shop.
17:43
>> Stay Blessed Barber Shop in
17:45
Campbellsville, Kentucky, man.
17:47
>> Campbellsville, Kentucky.
17:49
>> Yes, sir.
17:50
>> Stay Stay Blessed [laughter]
17:52
Stay Blessed Barber Shop. Well, let me
17:54
Let you ain't Here Here, we going to
17:55
change the vocabulary. You're no longer
17:58
trying.
17:59
>> Yeah.
17:59
>> The process is a part of the success.
18:01
You are making it. This is This is the
18:03
step you You got your own business.
18:05
>> Yeah.
18:06
>> What are you talking about?
18:07
>> Absolutely.
18:07
>> You're no longer trying. You're
18:08
demonstrating success. Okay? Keep that
18:11
in mind. The actions are there.
18:13
>> Absolutely.
18:15
>> Uh all all glory goes to God, man.
18:16
That's all I can say, man. He He's the
18:18
leader in my life, and I every credit
18:20
goes to him, man.
18:21
>> All right. I'm We're proud of you,
18:23
Chuck. You're a super citizen.
18:24
>> Stay blessed.
18:25
>> Okay. Uh Wayne is on the line from
18:27
Connecticut. What up, WAYNE?
18:29
>> OH, WHAT UP? [screaming]
18:30
>> [laughter]
18:30
>> WHAT'S UP, SWAY? I'M A FIRST time
18:32
caller.
18:33
>> Hey.
18:33
>> We got a first time, George. Hold up,
18:35
man.
18:37
>> I got through with my son in the car
18:39
with me. He ain't think I was going to
18:40
get through. Sway.
18:42
>> through.
18:42
>> at the Roots Picnic. I was at the Roots
18:44
Picnic. I wanted to see you so I could
18:46
get my citizenship in person, but as
18:48
long as I got it, I'm good.
18:50
>> Hey, Wayne, YOU'RE A SUPER CITIZEN.
18:54
THERE IT IS, BROTHER. THERE it is, man.
18:56
What's your question? Yes.
18:58
>> I'm from Connecticut. I just want to
18:59
tell Courtney I'm proud of her, and
19:02
stand on it, man. Rep the state proudly,
19:04
man. We I'm from the L, man. We stand on
19:06
our state. We ain't We rep
19:07
>> Yeah.
19:09
100%.
19:10
Listen,
19:11
I feel you. Go Yukon. Absolutely go
19:14
Huskies. No, you know what it is? I
19:16
because I'm not I'm not I guess because
19:19
I'm none of the things that people
19:20
expect like sometimes people expect me
19:22
to be very much from New York and have
19:24
like a certain kind of background. I
19:26
always try not to claim it. So you're
19:29
right. I need to you're absolutely
19:30
right. I need to step forward and be
19:32
like, yeah, I'm from Connecticut. WHAT?
19:34
SO
19:35
>> [laughter]
19:36
>> THAT WAS CONVINCING TOO COURTNEY.
19:38
>> It was not. It was not convincing. I
19:40
NEED ANOTHER TAKE.
19:42
>> [laughter]
19:42
>> HE'S FROM CONNECTICUT NOT NEW YORK. It's
19:43
all right.
19:44
>> Yeah, it's all right.
19:46
>> All right. Hey Wayne, thank you man. Hey
19:48
Wayne, have you watched Nemesis?
19:51
>> A little bit. I got to get the whole
19:53
>> a little bit? How do you do a little
19:54
bit?
19:56
>> No, anytime I'm at I'm at somebody's
19:58
house it's on. So I got to watch it on
20:01
my own time.
20:02
>> Yeah, no, I understand. I understand.
20:04
But listen, give yourself 8 hours and
20:06
sit down.
20:07
>> Yeah man, go ahead and do that. That was
20:09
my I I finished it. So
20:11
trust me on this one Wayne and take
20:13
care. Appreciate you calling. You a
20:15
citizen.
20:16
twice
20:18
uh
20:19
uh
20:20
what's my Makai Curtis?
20:22
>> Oh, Makai.
20:23
>> Makai is
20:24
>> talented.
20:25
>> super talented. I didn't want to I'll be
20:27
remissed if we didn't bring that young
20:28
man up. I see him often in my travels
20:32
at line at airports. You know, we've
20:34
been a few places. I have his
20:36
information. Stand up individual. I know
20:38
a little bit about his background, how
20:40
he takes care of his siblings and all
20:42
the things he's done to get to the point
20:44
where he is as playing Canaan. Um can
20:47
you just give him just a word or two?
20:49
>> Oh my goodness. Okay, so Makai came in
20:51
to audition and it was really
20:53
interesting because there were other
20:55
kids that came in and he came in and I
20:57
was like, why are we seeing these other
20:58
kids? We should just send them home.
21:00
Like he came in and he took it. That's
21:01
the thing about actors. Actors will come
21:03
in and they'll just take the part. He
21:04
came in and took the part. And I was
21:05
like, and he looks like 50. It wasn't
21:07
just that he could do it. I was like,
21:09
"And he looks like 50." And the thing
21:11
is, over time, he sounds so much like
21:15
Curtis. Like if I close my eyes when I'm
21:17
on a table read, it's nuts. He sounds
21:19
just like Curtis. Like he's figured out
21:21
And that's not his voice. Like he's
21:22
figured out how to do all those
21:24
cadences. He's also transformed himself
21:27
cuz Makai is a sweet, wonderful person.
21:30
He's like a good, stand-up man.
21:33
And, you know, Kanan's not exactly that.
21:36
>> [laughter]
21:36
>> SO,
21:37
YOU KNOW, WE SET OUT TO tell a story
21:39
about how a sweet kid turns into a
21:40
monster, and who boy, did he figure that
21:42
out.
21:43
>> He figured that out. So, salute to him.
21:44
Give him a round of applause. I know
21:45
he's going to be tuned in.
21:47
>> Yeah.
21:47
>> So, you did all this time in the world
21:49
of Power, right? And as far as we know,
21:51
we don't know what's happening behind
21:53
the scenes. And then all of a sudden,
21:54
Nemesis happens, right? And And I'm
21:57
curious to what was it that you learned
21:59
in Power
22:01
uh that helped you flex your muscles
22:03
writing Nemesis
22:04
in a different way.
22:06
>> What a great question. I love it when I
22:07
get a great question. Thank you, Sway.
22:09
Uh no.
22:10
>> I usually get one per interview.
22:12
>> No, no, no, no, no. I know you. You're
22:14
But uh yeah, so basically, there were
22:17
two things that I learned. One was how
22:19
to be a woman uh boss.
22:22
Um because it's not exactly the same as
22:23
being a male boss. Men uh respond to
22:26
patriarchy rules very easily when it's a
22:29
male leader. When it's a female leader,
22:31
sometimes when you work with a lot of
22:33
men, they have to really kind of
22:35
understand how to, you know, take
22:38
criticism or or take no's, and you have
22:41
to learn how to do that and still
22:42
respect their masculinity and not make
22:44
them feel a certain way. You know, you
22:46
really have to be able to say, "Hey, I
22:48
really appreciate your effort.
22:49
I see you putting on effort here, but
22:51
this is the direction I want to go." So,
22:53
I learned a lot about that and
22:54
management. Um
22:56
but then the second thing that I learned
22:58
is that I have to trust my instincts
23:00
about what we want to watch. And when I
23:02
say we,
23:04
you know, there's a lot of you from this
23:05
business people use the power audience
23:07
or whatever, but I'm talking about for
23:08
us by us.
23:09
>> Mhm.
23:10
>> Ultimately, my job is to make things
23:12
that resonate with my community. Uh when
23:15
I look at my community, my community can
23:17
can be as wide as everyone of color
23:21
plus, you know, cool white folks.
23:23
>> Mhm.
23:23
>> But when I set out to make something for
23:26
us, what I'm trying to do is make it so
23:27
that the average black man or woman
23:31
can come home from a hard day at work,
23:33
man, woman, or, you know, uh non-gender,
23:36
uh non-binary, uh can come home from
23:38
work and just relax and watch something
23:40
that shows us
23:42
>> Mhm.
23:42
>> in a multifaceted light. That's really
23:45
what I'm trying to do. And that's really
23:46
I'm trying to do that forever.
23:48
>> Mhm.
23:49
>> That's really I'm
23:49
>> forever. That's your mission. That's
23:51
That's your purpose.
23:52
>> That's my purpose. Yes, I'm passionate
23:54
about that.
23:55
>> Are you a nice um boss or
23:58
strict? Uh
23:59
what kind of boss? How would you
24:00
describe your bossing?
24:02
>> Uh
24:02
shout out to anyone who follows
24:04
astrology. I am a double Taurus.
24:06
>> Okay.
24:07
>> I'm chill until I'm not.
24:09
>> Okay.
24:09
>> I am very chill until I'm not. Um but I
24:12
like to hire the best people and let
24:13
them do their job. I don't micromanage.
24:15
That's the one thing I definitely know
24:17
is not to micromanage people. Just let
24:19
them do what they they like hire someone
24:22
you trust, let them do it.
24:23
>> Mhm.
24:24
>> Um I do not respond well to lack of
24:26
professionalism.
24:27
>> Mhm.
24:28
>> And I do not respond well to lack of
24:29
preparedness.
24:30
>> Mhm.
24:31
>> So, um one of the things as a writer is
24:33
that you have to get your script to your
24:34
actors as far in advance as possible. We
24:37
do table reads. So, that script is
24:39
ready. So, on the day, you better know
24:41
what you're doing.
24:42
>> Mhm.
24:42
>> Because I gave it to you 2 weeks ago.
24:44
There is no excuse for not knowing. Um
24:47
if I gave the script to you 2 weeks ago
24:48
and you're you know, in the department
24:50
or whatever, like everybody should have
24:52
time. If I do my job, I should be able
24:54
to let you do your job. But if I don't
24:57
do my job, then there is no excuse,
24:59
right? I am the one who has to be most
25:00
accountable. And that's the other thing
25:02
about being a boss is that you have to
25:03
be ruthless with yourself.
25:05
>> You got to be ruthless with yourself.
25:07
>> Absolutely.
25:07
>> Courtney Kemp is hanging with us. Tracy,
25:09
I'mma let you dive in, but I was just as
25:11
you were speaking and I'm thinking
25:13
Nemesis, by the way,
25:15
um
25:16
is such an incredible series, you know,
25:19
and I'm happy for you cuz, you know,
25:21
every time you step to the plate, you
25:22
hitting home runs, you know. And you
25:25
know, you had a very it felt like secure
25:27
foundation for the most part with Stars,
25:29
but this is on Netflix.
25:31
>> Yes, sir.
25:31
>> So, how was that transition?
25:33
>> Well, you know, I'll be honest with with
25:35
you, uh I left Stars
25:38
uh
25:39
partially, you know, I felt like I'd
25:41
done everything I could do there cuz the
25:43
universe had started and then we were
25:44
just doing universe shows.
25:46
Um when I first left Netflix left for
25:49
Netflix, I thought I was going to do
25:51
sort of softer fair. I was going to
25:53
write more about uh femininity. That's
25:56
what I thought. But, then my brother
25:58
died and he had been a huge inspiration
26:02
to me and, you know, the person who He
26:03
was my older brother by 10 years and he
26:05
like held me down. We all have somebody
26:07
in our lives who's held us down, whether
26:08
it's a parent, you know, a friend,
26:10
whatever. And I got lost. I didn't know
26:13
how to do my life without my brother in
26:15
it. Um so, it took me a couple years to
26:18
get back to myself and then by that
26:21
time, I wanted to make something that
26:22
was We'd already been through a
26:24
pandemic. I'd been through grief. I'd
26:26
had some major surgery and I was like, I
26:28
got to make something fun, y'all.
26:31
And so, then Nemesis was born, you know.
26:33
>> And that's how Nemesis was born.
26:34
>> Yeah, Tony Tony and I were falling in
26:37
love, actually. We'd met and we were
26:38
falling in love. We started talking
26:39
about what do we want to see and what's
26:41
not out there for us to watch? And then
26:44
that's where the idea came from.
26:46
>> Now, Tracy is a Nemesis
26:48
um enthusiast, so I'mma let her jump in.
26:50
>> Okay.
26:51
>> [laughter]
26:52
>> You're not my Nemesis. I'm just
26:53
>> don't know if there was a period or a
26:54
comma there.
26:55
I was perplexed.
26:57
But [laughter] um
26:58
Yeah, Courtney, it's it's truly been a
27:00
pleasure just getting to know the woman
27:03
behind the writing and everything that
27:05
you've so generously shared with us
27:07
about your journey, about your your
27:10
thought process when creating these
27:11
characters. If someone
27:14
analyzed your life the way that you
27:17
analyze characters for years, what do
27:19
you think they'd identify as your
27:21
recurring theme?
27:23
>> Oh, wow. God, this is a great interview.
27:25
Damn. Um [laughter]
27:27
these are great questions.
27:29
Um let's see. I think someone would say
27:32
she's constantly trying to improve
27:34
herself. But she's aware, she, Courtney,
27:37
is aware of her
27:39
basic malfunctions and so can't get out
27:42
of her own way.
27:44
I think I'm always writing about that. I
27:46
think there's a bit of Coltrane in me
27:48
where, you know, Coltrane should
27:50
probably wrap it up, right? We get the
27:52
sense that he should wrap it up. Like he
27:54
should stop and like, you know, Deion be
27:57
[ __ ] up. Like maybe we should just
27:59
walk away from all this [ __ ] and instead
28:01
he's like, "I owe the guys two more
28:03
jobs." Like I'm really big on keeping my
28:05
word, which is can get you in trouble
28:07
cuz sometimes you over promise and
28:09
sometimes you need to under deliver if
28:11
you over promise. Um
28:13
so I think I get myself in trouble. I
28:15
write checks with my mouth that my ass
28:16
can't cash in that way cuz I over
28:18
promise to people.
28:20
Um
28:21
I think they would say you
28:24
uh you are an empath and that's that can
28:28
be draining. Maybe you should take some
28:31
time to invest in taking care of
28:32
yourself. But like many parents out
28:35
there, I became number two on my call
28:38
sheet real fast after I had a kid and so
28:41
I think that's that's kind of what the
28:43
issue is always for me is that my my
28:45
comes first. So I do things in my life
28:47
that I probably wouldn't do
28:48
>> Mhm.
28:48
>> in order to ensure his future.
28:50
>> Okay. Man, well, congratulations on your
28:53
on your son.
28:53
>> Yeah, thanks.
28:54
>> Um
28:55
let's dive into Coltrane because
28:57
Coltrane is an amazing character. Um
29:00
he's loyal to his friends. He loves his
29:03
women.
29:03
>> Mhm.
29:04
>> He even tries to uplift the community.
29:06
He's very successful.
29:09
But, he's a
29:10
bank robber and a killer.
29:11
>> Yep.
29:12
>> Right?
29:13
>> Yes, [laughter] people seem to not
29:14
notice that he's a murderer. I'm like,
29:16
you guys, he killed two people. What are
29:17
you talking about? In the IN THE PILOT.
29:20
>> [laughter]
29:22
>> HE DIDN'T MEAN TO.
29:23
>> HE AIN'T mean to. Exactly.
29:25
>> to, but and I find myself with Styles as
29:29
the you know, he's the
29:30
>> cop.
29:31
>> He's the cop. He's, you know, he's he
29:33
works on behalf of the community and
29:35
he's there to uplift uphold the law.
29:38
>> Mhm.
29:39
>> But, we're rooting for Coltrane
29:41
more than we're rooting for Styles.
29:43
>> Mhm. Yeah.
29:45
>> What is What is that? I mean, and you
29:47
could kind of we do that in society.
29:49
>> Okay, so I'm heartbroken by how many
29:52
people are anti-Styles, but Toney and I
29:54
actually
29:56
Toney really wanted the criminal to be
29:58
the hero here. And
29:59
>> Okay.
29:59
>> if anyone who's familiar with Power, I
30:01
like to write the criminal as the hero,
30:02
too, right? Like, you know, Ghost is the
30:04
hero, you know?
30:05
>> Yeah.
30:06
>> But, Ghost is the hero and the villain.
30:08
But,
30:08
I would say Coltrane is compelling
30:10
because he has a code, right? We
30:12
actually can predict what he's going to
30:14
do because we know what he's going to
30:16
do.
30:16
>> Mhm.
30:16
>> Um we see him. We see his love for his
30:19
wife. We see his love for his friends.
30:21
He's a version of us that we'd like to
30:23
be, right? We'd love to keep our word.
30:24
We'd love to be good to our husbands and
30:26
wives that way.
30:28
Styles is frustrating because even
30:30
though we as the audience know he's
30:31
right, we're like, can you calm down,
30:33
bro? Can you just like take it down a
30:35
notch and let this brother breathe?
30:37
Like, he's only going to do this two
30:38
more times and then he's out. Like, just
30:40
let him do it.
30:40
>> Right.
30:41
>> But, but Styles is also a part of all of
30:44
us, which is
30:45
I'm right. Why is everyone thinking I'm
30:47
so [ __ ] stupid? I'm not wrong. And I
30:49
think it's interesting that the audience
30:51
IS LIKE, "YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, SHUT UP. I
30:52
we know." Like when he goes through the
30:54
house and he like destroys the baby's
30:56
room. Like he's doing too much.
30:57
>> too much. Tearing the walls down, all
30:59
that stuff. Like, come on.
31:00
>> He's doing too much, but the thing is,
31:01
my favorite part of that scene is when
31:04
Ebony looks at him and she goes, "My
31:05
husband's not a criminal." And he's
31:06
like, "You're playing in my face." He's
31:08
right. She is playing in his face. We
31:11
Like she actually was on the last heist.
31:13
[ __ ] WHAT?
31:14
>> [laughter]
31:15
>> BUT
31:16
BUT AS THE SO, I LOVE scenes I like I
31:19
craft a lot of scenes where both people
31:20
are right. They're both right. He is
31:22
doing too much. But he's also right.
31:25
She's lying.
31:27
>> I love it. Nemesis and look, the last
31:29
episode was a humdinger. It's a
31:31
cliffhanger. I will always win. I think
31:34
What What was it What was
31:35
>> You were never going to win. You were
31:36
never going to win. And then Coltrane
31:39
And listen, if you
31:40
>> Too bad for you. Too bad for you.
31:42
>> cryptic, but I don't want to tell
31:43
everything cuz I want you to watch
31:45
Nemesis on Netflix, and I can't wait for
31:48
the next season
31:49
of Nemesis. I think you guys have
31:51
created something that's very unique,
31:54
that's very interesting, that's very fun
31:57
to watch.
31:57
>> Thank you.
31:58
>> think at the core of it all, we see we
32:00
all see a little bit of ourselves or who
32:02
we want to be in both of these
32:04
characters, Styles and Coltrane, right?
32:06
And those actors are doing an excellent
32:08
job triggering our emotions.
32:10
>> That's right. And a shout-out to Matthew
32:12
and to Alon, they did a great job. Also,
32:15
Cleopatra and Gabrielle, who played
32:17
their wives, unbelievable performances.
32:19
>> And And And so, we're going to continue
32:21
to support, and you got to come back on
32:23
the show.
32:24
>> All right. I'll bring Tani next time.
32:25
>> Bring Please.
32:26
>> [laughter]
32:27
>> Bring Tani next time, and I love how you
32:29
reached out to
32:31
to Tani on Father's Day and said,
32:32
"Thanks for loving my kid the way you
32:35
do."
32:36
>> He really is an amazing guy.
32:37
>> Yeah, and that's and that's not you
32:39
know, that's his son, but that's not his
32:41
biological son.
32:43
>> yeah.
32:43
>> And I think that was very important to
32:45
say that and and for people to be able
32:47
to read that and you sharing that. I'm a
32:49
father, so I can appreciate that.
32:52
Courtney, it's absolute pleasure to meet
32:54
you. Thank you for coming by our show.
32:56
>> Thank you for having me.
32:57
>> you had a good time.
32:58
>> I had a great time. I would love to be
32:59
here longer. This is awesome. Thank you.
33:02
>> All right, I will. I will.
33:03
>> then we'll talk more music, too.
33:04
>> Okay, great.
33:05
>> All right, give it up for Courtney A.
33:06
Kemp, citizens, and make sure you watch
33:08
Nemesis. It's on Netflix.
33:10
Don't play yourself and don't play in my
33:12
face.
33:13
Make sure you go watch it, all right?
#Arts & Entertainment