- Omari Hardwick, 51, initially wanted to pursue a career in football before he decided to switch to acting
- The Decatur native did a few odd jobs as a struggling actor before he got his break-out role in 2004
- Following his marriage to Jennifer Pfauch, a Native American, they were both criticized for their interracial marriage but their relationship stood the test of time as they are still together and are raising their two kids, Nova and Brave together
The Power actor Omari Hardwick has made immense contributions to the entertainment industry over the years through the several movies and series he has featured in. Known for the BET’s hit series Being Mary Jane, Omari is also seen as one of black Hollywood’s sex symbols for his breath-taking looks.
Aside from acting, the 51-year-old initially tried to pursue a career in football but he turned to acting. He even played baseball, basketball, and football while he was in high school.
The actor has been married to Jennifer Pfauch also known as Jae Hardwick since 2012 and they share two kids.
Omari Hardwick was Raised in Decatur
The American Skin star was born Omari Latif Hardwick to Joyce and Clifford Hardwick III on January 9, 1974. He was raised alongside his three siblings, Jamil, Shani, and Malik in Decatur, Georgia where he attended Marist School in Brookhaven. While in high school, Omari participated in several sports and it helped him earn a football scholarship.
Through the football scholarship, he enrolled at the University of Georgia. While he excelled in sports, he also participated in acting and poetry. Hardwick also minored in theatre at the University.
Omari Hardwick Has Been Married to Jennifer Pfauch for 12and They Have Two Kids
The couple started dating in the early 2000 and after a while, they tied the knot in a private ceremony on May 4, 2012, in Kansas City. Following their marriage, Omari’s wife, Jennifer who is a Native American and of German descent, was allegedly disowned by her family for marrying an African-American man.
Also, the actor was criticized for having a white wife by a fan some time back but Hardwick did not waste time slamming the fan back. Despite the challenges the marriage has faced, the couple has constantly responded to critics of their interracial marriage with heartwarming messages on social media. The couple has both celebrated the anniversary of Loving v. Virginia the 1967 landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage.
Omari Hardwick and his wife have two children Nova and Brave. However, Jennifer ‘Jae’ once revealed on Instagram that in November 2008, they had their first child but it was stillborn. The incident happened before the couple married.
Omari’s oldest child, Nova Hardwick, is rumored to be around 12 years while the youngest, Brave is speculated to be around 10 years.
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What is Omari Hardwick’s Net Worth?
Regarding the actor’s income, Omari Hardwick once revealed on the episode of The Pivot podcast on May 27 2022 that he doesn’t earn enough for his role as ‘Ghost’ in Power and that generally, he does not earn enough as he should in his acting career. He even revealed that at some point, he had to borrow money from 50 Cent to support himself.
Earning $150,000 per episode in Power in the past, Omari later revealed that his pay was later improved.
https://youtu.be/VjmiD2d_H5A
At the moment, Omari is speculated to have a net worth of about $5 million. His wealth is mainly from his acting career and also other pursuits.
Here are Other Interesting Facts about the American Actor
1. Omari Hardwick Started Writing Poetry at the Age of 14
The 5’10’ actor always had a passion for arts even as a child. By the time he was fourteen, he started writing poetry even when he was trying to focus on his football career. In 2003 and 2004, Omari participated in the National Poetry Slam.
Although he is now thriving in his acting career, the actor still writes poems and reports say he was written more than 4,000 poems so far.
2. A Knee Injury Cut Omari Hardwick’s Football Career Short
After Omari graduated from college, he wanted to pursue his football career so he declared himself for the NFL Draft but he was not selected. He initially had the hope of joining the San Diego Chargers so he relocated to San Diego.
3. Omari Hardwick Did a Couple of Odd Jobs to Pay for His Acting Classes
According to reports, Hardwick went through a couple of challenges as a struggling actor. To an extent, he reportedly lived in his car while he did a few odd jobs in order to pay for his acting classes.
4. He Got His Break in Acting in 2004
Omar Hardwick struggled for a while before he got his break in the 2004 TV movie Sucker Free City. From there he started getting more roles as he got one in the feature film The Guardian and later in the TV series, Saved.
As he was gaining prominence in his acting career, he became a founding member of Plan B Inc. Theater Group in 2010, and later on, he co-founded a production company called Actor’s Lounge at the Los Angeles Greenway Theater.
Omari Hardwick also founded a production company called Bravelife Films. He later became well known for his role as James Ghost St. Patrick, the lead cast on the Starz crime drama thriller, Power.
He has also featured in Netflix’s thriller series Pieces of Her, a movie adaptation of the Karin Slaughter novel, Pieces of Her. Reports have it that it was made known in April 2022 would appear in Fantasy Football alongside actors like Marsai Martin.
Here are some of the other movies and series Omari has featured in:
5. Omari Hardwick’s Wife also Works in the Entertainment Industry
Apparently, the actor is not the only one that works in the entertainment industry in his family. His wife graduated from California Lutheran University where she majored in communications and also interned at NBC’s Primetime Entertainment Publicist Department in Burbank, California while still in college.
Also, Jae Hardwick has worked as a publicist at Paradigm Talent Agency. The actor’s wife also shares inspirational and motivational quotes on social media.
Jennifer has received credits from Omari especially for encouraging him to take the role of ‘Ghost’ in Power.
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