Fans of 50 Cent’s “Power” franchise may have been first introduced to Michael Rainey Jr. in 2014 for his breakout role as Tariq James St. Patrick, but his acting days started years before. In an interview with Forbes’ “New Money” podcast, the actor recalled landing his first movie, “Un Altro Mondo (Another World),” at age 9 in 2010. Before the starring role, Rainey’s acting journey began when a talent agent approached his mom to consider placing him in the business. “She literally just walked up to my mom and said, ‘Your son has a great face for acting or modeling. Does he do any of that?’” Rainey told host Rosemarie Miller. “And she was like, ‘No.’ And then, like a week after, they had a meeting in the office and after that, they just started getting me auditions.” The auditions that rolled in included TV time for shows like “Sesame Street” and more. The progression of Rainey’s gigs led to landing his bigger role on “Power.” However, prior to the hit Starz show, he says that his...

Angela Bassett is set to be honored in Atlanta, GA. In May 2024, the legendary actress will receive an honorary degree from Spelman College, according to WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta. What’s more, it was announced that Bassett is set to give the commencement speech to the HBCU’s class of 2024. “Spelman College is honored to have acclaimed actress and director Angela Bassett to bring words of inspiration to our graduating Class of 2024,” Spelman College President Dr. Helene D. Gayle said, according to the outlet. She continued, “Her work has had a tremendous impact both on and off the screen and serves as an example for our students to lead in their own spaces.” In addition to Bassett, Spelman College will honor Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, award-winning journalist Rose Scott, and Reverend Dr. Yvette Flunder. Gayle says she looks forward to the honorees being a source of inspiration for not only the class of 2024 but also their families and the overall Spelman College...

Following the premiere of “Empire” on Fox, the show took off instantly. Starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, “Empire” broke TV records off the bat in its first season, which was released in 2015. At the time, the ratings for the musical drama series’ first five episodes increased consecutively — making it the first series to do so since 1991 — per The Washington Post. Running from 2015 to 2020, “Empire” was everywhere and its logo, which includes Howard, was too. However, the veteran actor says he didn’t officially sign off on it. During a sit-down interview on “Straight Talk with Daphne Phaneē,” Howard claimed that the logo Fox used is a still shot of him from his Oscar-nominated role in “Hustle and Flow.” “They took that [photo], flipped it, and put it on everything. Made a trademark of it, sold it around the world — didn’t ask my permission.” He continued, “That image is worth $100 million at least for how much money that they made from it.” In addition, Howard shared...

Zendaya has been building her net worth since she was a child. However, being a child star comes with its fair share of challenges, like taking care of your family financially. In 2010, Zendaya starred in Disney Channel’s TV series “Shake It Up” as Rocky Blue. After three seasons, the breakout role led Zendaya to stay within the Disney Channel franchise in TV shows and films such as “K.C. Undercover,” “Frenemies,” and “Zapped.” Building her work resume early on resulted in Zendaya co-starring in the film “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” based on Marvel Comics, and landing the leading role in HBO nextwork’s teen drama series “Euphoria,” for which she won two Emmys and one Golden Globe for her portrayal of Rue Bennett. While Zendaya has risen in stardom since her Disney Channel days, she is now beginning to further reflect on how her time as a child star impacted her. During her May 2024 cover story interview with Vogue, the 27-year-old shared how having the most income in her household at a...

Terrence Howard is set on pushing forward with a legal battle regarding his Hollywood earnings. As previously shared by AFROTECH™, the Oscar-nominated actor filed a lawsuit against the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in December 2023. Howard claims that the agency prompted him to accept talent fees that were less than what he should’ve received. For starring in the hit TV series, “Empire,” he allegedly earned 30% to 50% less than what he should have earned per episode. “We expect our agents and our lawyers to look after us, and therefore we’re free to do all of the work that you guys enjoy so much,” Howard expressed during a press conference that year. “I trusted CAA to look after me, and they looked after themselves.” During the press conference, Howard noted that he wasn’t entirely certain that the lowball pay was due to a “racial issue.” However, now, he has come forward to not only further address the elephant in the room but also detail what he believes he’s owed. In an interview...

Taraji P. Henson, Mo’Nique, Gabrielle Union, and Octavia Spencer. Many Black actresses have been vocal about pay disparity in Hollywood with these women being some of the latest to address the issue. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Henson was transparent about her debating on whether to quit acting. “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the costs,” Henson said in a Sirius XM interview with Gayle King. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathin’.” Henson isn’t the only one who has faced the unfortunate reality of stepping back from being an actress due to Hollywood’s pay gap. During an appearance on NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute,” Jada Pinkett Smith shared that while her “heart broke” for Henson, she was also happy that she was courageous enough to speak up. In addition, she related to her fellow actress’ sentiments, but in...

Jason Weaver is a generational talent. Period.

A new report by Variety revealed a very sad truth about the biggest salaries in Hollywood. The outlet reports that the actor who got the biggest payday in Tinsel Town was none other than Daniel Craig. The current James Bond received more than $100 million for the “Knives Out” sequels, which are being directed by Hollywood heavyweight Rian Johnson. And there’s a reason Craig is getting this heavy salary: the “new deal” that’s available to many Hollywood stars. “Netflix compensates movie stars for the projected back-end box office participation they would reap if their movies were released exclusively in theaters. Add to that salary bumps Craig would’ve received for second and third films in the murder mystery series, and the outgoing James Bond is sitting on a nine-figure check,” explains Variety. And there’s more to the biggest salaries in Hollywood, too. In a nutshell, actors who are involved in the business of streaming can expect a bigger payday than those who limit their efforts...