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SA EXCLUSIVE: Power's Joseph Sikora on playing a nefarious drug dealer

Cape Town - 40-year-old Chicago born Joseph Sikora portrays the role of mean-eyed drug dealer Tommy Egan in the popular Starz crime-drama, Power

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from season one to four of Power.

Now in its fourth season the gritty TV drama delves into the ins and outs of New York's biggest illegal drug networks.    

Speaking to Channel24 Joseph talks about how he landed the role of Tommy Egan and life on the Power set.

THE AUDITION PROCESS

When seeing Joseph take on the role of hardened criminal Tommy Egan so convincingly, it's hard to believe that he almost missed out on the part of Tommy, as he was unavailable for the first round of auditions.

"When the role came up earlier in the summer 2013, I was unavailable to audition. And I believe that they already had their final choice, but then Omari Hardwick signed onto the project and they had to go though the audition process again. Luckily, this time I was available," he said.

"It was quite a long audition process," the actor explains, saying that the entire casting process took about three weeks. He auditioned in New York with the executive producer, creator Courtney Kemp Agboh and Anthony Hemingway - who directed the first two episodes. No pressure!

"I then flew out to Los Angeles to be screen tested with Omari Hardwick, and obviously we had great chemistry. From that audition I did the network test, and after that I was notified that I landed the role."    

POWER

THE CALCULATING, MERCURIAL, HOT-HEADED, TOMMY EGAN

When asked if he would ever be friends with the underhanded and (sometimes totally uncalled-for) violent character the answer is a big fat, "no." He says: "That would be way too much for me. He is too intense. I've got too much to lose to be around such illegal activity."  

But according to the star, taking on the role of TV villain has been "equally rewarding as a challenge." And as one would expect, the role of Tommy is very emotionally demanding role: "He is a very intense person and character, so you really have to put in all if your emotions. You have to be very aware at all times."

Despite his nefarious behaviour, Tommy's love for Ghost's (Hardwick) family and his loyalty remains. 

"Everybody can kind of see themselves in Tommy when all his raw emotions come alive. Even though they might not want to be him - he is pretty violent - his determination is something to be admired," he adds. 

CO-STARS AND LIFE ON SET

Speaking about his on-screen love interest LaKeisha (season four) - played by La La Anthony - he says, "La La stepped up to the plate with the love relationship between Tommy and LaKeisha."

The pair shared a hot hook-up in scene in season four, this after we all assumed that LaKeisha was killed, at the hands of Tommy!

"The best part of working on Power, is getting to work with such wonderful professionals [La La Anthony]. She is a wonderful person and a great mother," he says.

Talking about his other co-stars he adds: "Jerry Ferrara (who plays Joe Proctor) is such a great actor, and it's been such a privilege to work with him. Omari is such a consummate actor and a great professional. It has been a joy to work with these actors. They are all such great actors and great people."   

Following the arrest of Ghost (Hardwick) at the end of season three, Tommy now has a lot of power as he steps up as the new boss, which leads to him making some impulsive decisions: Killing a government agent.

Talking about the serious story arcs he says, "I think people like to keep it fun and light on set, because it is so serious."

POWER

LIFE OUTSIDE OF POWER 

Joseph - who started his acting career as a teenager, says that being an actor for such a long time, he is always in the pursuit of acting and storytelling. "I just co-directed and co-produced my first short film," he tells Channel24

The star - who considers himself a bit of a foodie - also recently wrapped up a film in Canada, alongside Meagan Good and Micheal Ealy, directed by Deon Taylorm called, Motivated Seller

Another project he is very passionate about is a feature he is developing with his partner. "The feature takes place ten years into the future where after a two term Trump presidency the states' governments have become very powerful."

And if you're not sold already, he adds, "It's a very exciting pre-Apocalyptic near futuristic thriller."

Hey, you've got us hooked already! 

He also enjoys travelling with his wife, yoga and reading.

MESSAGE TO SA FANS

Ending off the interview, Joseph thanks all Power fans in SA, "Get me down to South Africa! I'm very grateful to all my South African fans. I see the comments from South Africans on social media, and love to see how dedicated they are to the show. They take in the show so smartly. They have such smart opinions and ideas about the storylines."

Power season four is exclusive to DEOD - the only place to watch it right now 24 hours after the US.

WATCH THE SEASON FOUR TRAILER HERE:

(PHOTOS: GETTY)

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