The group chat ignited after meeting Branford Frady on the season 4 finale of Power Book III: Raising Kanan as he calmly introduced himself: “Call me Breeze.” And just like that, one of the most mythologized figures in the Power universe had finally stepped out into the light.
Breeze is the mentor who molded Kanan into the man he’d become in the original Power series, who also shaped James “Ghost” St. Patrick and Tommy Eagan. (Their worlds will be revisited in the upcoming Power: Origins.)
But here’s the twist: fans have been “casting” an actor for Breeze long before the series made it official.
On Reddit threads, fan pages and in Power Universe groups, Shameik Moore’s name was brought up numerous times as the perfect actor to play the elusive kingpin. Viewers of the series felt he had an old-soul energy the role required. And now, with the drop of Power Book III: Raising Kanan’s Season 5 trailer, Breeze is about to become the emotional and psychological thread of the show’s final chapter.
Moore has already spent much of his career immersed in theatrical decades before his. He captured 1970s hip-hop culture in the TV series The Get Down and New York rap history, circa 1990s, in the drama series Wu-Tang: An American Saga. He’s also done due diligence in coming-of-age storylines, like in Dope.
As we learned in his June 2023 EBONY feature, Moore knows how to move with skill and ease. Inspired by the spectacular dance sequences in the 2004 film, You Got Served, he became a dance-battle sensation in Atlanta as a teen, which landed him in music videos and other TV projects, like Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. Fans often described Breeze as someone who could control a room just through his stance.
Music has always played an integral part in the Power canon, and as the son of reggae musician Errol Moore, the younger Moore practically grew up in a recording studio. He has also followed in his father’s tracks when it comes to a love of music. He recorded several tracks for the film Dope alongside Pharrell Williams and has directed music videos and released several singles & EPs, including “Ride The Beat” (2017) and “Bounce” (2018).
Given his resume and background, Moore’s casting was inevitable, and the internet knew it well before it became a reality.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan, The Final Season, premieres June 12 on Starz.