Michael Rainey Jr. is an American actor who is best known for playing Tariq St. Patrick, the son of the main character in the Starz crime drama Power. He was born on September 22, 2000, which makes him 26 years old as of October 2026. In a little over a decade he went from a child actor in an Italian film to the lead of his own series, Power Book II: Ghost, and in June 2026 he was confirmed for yet another show, Power: Legacy. This article puts his life story, career, awards and latest news in one place, and it also points out a few details that many websites still get wrong.
Quick Facts About Michael Rainey Jr.
Before the longer story, here is a short summary of the basics. Most of these details come from Wikipedia, IMDb and entertainment news outlets, and where sources disagree I have said so below the table.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Andile Rainey Jr. |
| Date of birth | September 22, 2000 |
| Age | 26 (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Raised in | Staten Island, New York City |
| Nationality | American, with Jamaican roots through his mother |
| Profession | Actor and producer |
| Best known for | Tariq St. Patrick in Power and Power Book II: Ghost |
| Years active | 2010 to present |
| Latest project | Power: Legacy (ordered to series in June 2026) |
| Biggest award | NAACP Image Award, 2025 |
Michael Rainey Jr.’s Early Life and Family
Rainey was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but he moved to Staten Island, New York, when he was about one year old, and that is where he grew up. According to Wikipedia, his parents are Michael Rainey Sr. and Shauna Small, while his IMDb trivia page names his mother as Jane Ormsby Gore, so the name of his mother is one detail I would treat with care. Both sources agree on the Jamaican side of his family, which comes through his mother. His mother also homeschooled him when he was young, which probably gave him room to take acting work early.
Outside of acting, he has been reported to support Find and Feed, an Indiana-based group that helps people experiencing homelessness. That detail traces back to a Legit.ng profile that Wikipedia cites, so it is not something I could confirm from a second major outlet. There is very little verified information about siblings, and I did not find any reliable source that names them.
How His Acting Career Started
His first screen role was in the 2010 Italian film Un Altro Mondo, where he played a character named Charlie. Wikipedia says he was nine when he began, while several other profiles say ten, so his exact age at the time is unclear. Apple TV’s biography says he learned Italian for the part, and some profiles add that he spent about a year in Italy. You will also see a story online that he was spotted in an Italian music video before the film, but I could not find that in a major news outlet, so I am leaving it as unconfirmed.
After he came back to the United States, the roles kept coming. He appeared in the 2012 film LUV, played a young version of Cecil Gaines in The Butler in 2013, and had a recurring part as Michael Burset in Orange Is the New Black from 2013 to 2015. Later film credits include Barbershop: The Next Cut in 2016, plus Amateur and 211, both in 2018. None of those made him a household name, but they built the résumé that led to the role everyone knows him for.
Tariq St. Patrick and the Power Years
Power began in 2014, and Rainey joined as Tariq, first in a recurring role in seasons one and two and then as a main cast member from season three to season six. Tariq started out as the teenage son of nightclub owner and drug dealer James “Ghost” St. Patrick, and over time he became one of the most disliked characters on the show. Rainey played that slow turn so well that fans had trouble separating the actor from the character.
The clearest example happened in January 2020. A clip from the final season leaked online, and on January 22 Rainey posted on Instagram that he was checking his messages and had found 326 death threats. His co-stars joked about it in the comments, and the show’s creator had already said that several different endings were filmed in case of leaks. When Power ended in February 2020, it was confirmed that Tariq had indeed shot his father. Years later he told the Associated Press that the reaction, whether serious or just fans being dramatic, actually helped build the case for a spinoff built around Tariq.
Leading Power Book II: Ghost
That spinoff, Power Book II: Ghost, launched in 2020 and ran for four seasons until 2024, with Rainey as its lead. The story follows Tariq as he tries to run a criminal operation while attending a fictional university, and the cast also included Mary J. Blige and Method Man. For a young actor who had spent years playing the most hated person on a hit show, carrying his own series was a big step. In a 2024 interview as the show ended, he said he hoped to be seen in a different light than only as Tariq or “a kid that’s menacing.”
Awards and Recognition
Rainey has been nominated for several honors over the years. According to one entertainment report, he received a nomination at the 49th NAACP Image Awards in 2018 in the youth performance category, and the same report says he was also nominated for a BET Awards Young Stars prize the following year. Those details come from a single outlet, so treat them as reported rather than fully verified.
The best-documented moment came in February 2025, when he won his first NAACP Image Award at the 56th ceremony. BET reported that he won for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for Ghost, beating Aldis Hodge, Donald Glover, Harold Perrineau and Jabari Banks. He was 24, and his short speech mostly thanked his parents. In a separate interview he has also said that he does not chase awards, repeating a line he credits to 50 Cent about trophies not paying the bills.
Business Work and Twenty Two Entertainment
Rainey is not only an actor. In March 2022, he and his Power co-star Gianni Paolo launched a company called Twenty Two Entertainment, according to Deadline. Its first project was a self-hosted podcast called The Crew Has It, and the company is funded by Artists For Artists, a group launched by Kenan Thompson and John Ryan Jr. I did not find much public information on what the company has made since then, so I will not guess.
Latest News: Power Book IV: Force and Power: Legacy
Two real developments in 2026 matter for anyone searching his name. First, Tariq appeared as a special guest in the finale of Power Book IV: Force in January 2026, where he and Tommy Egan, played by Joseph Sikora, teamed up. Second, on June 4, 2026, Starz ordered Power: Legacy to series, with Rainey and Sikora both returning. Variety and Deadline report that the first season has eight episodes, that Gary Lennon is the showrunner, and that the story follows Tommy coming back to New York and partnering with Tariq. Variety also lists Rainey as a producer, but no premiere date had been announced in the sources I checked.
Personal Life
Rainey keeps most of his personal life out of the news, and I think that is worth respecting. Wikipedia mentions that he was reported to be in a relationship in 2022, but I could not find a reliable, current update on his relationship status, so I am not going to guess. Anything you read about marriage or children on random fan sites should be treated as unverified.
Facts Other Websites Get Wrong
While researching, I noticed that many “biography” pages copy each other and repeat mistakes. Several say he was born in Sacramento, California, but Wikipedia, TV Insider and Apple TV all say Louisville, Kentucky. Some pages still list his age as 22 or 23 because they were written years ago, and a few even describe his father, Michael Rainey Sr., as an actor from Power, which I found no reliable support for. His height is also listed differently from site to site, so I left it out.
Net worth is another weak spot. I could not find a figure from a reliable financial source, and one low-quality site says about $1.2 million. If you see that number, treat it as an unverified estimate as of 2026, not a confirmed fact.
How This Was Researched
I researched this biography using Wikipedia, IMDb, Apple TV and TV Insider profiles, along with news coverage from Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Complex, BET and the Associated Press. I also read the top-ranking biography pages for his name. Most of them were thin, copied from each other, and out of date, and many skipped his 2025 NAACP win and the Power: Legacy order completely. Where sources disagreed or only one outlet reported something, I said so in the text instead of guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Michael Rainey Jr.? He was born on September 22, 2000, so he is 26 years old as of October 2026.
Where was Michael Rainey Jr. born? Wikipedia, TV Insider and Apple TV say he was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in Staten Island, New York.
What is Michael Rainey Jr. best known for? He is best known for playing Tariq St. Patrick in Power (2014 to 2020) and Power Book II: Ghost (2020 to 2024).
Is Michael Rainey Jr. in Power: Legacy? Yes. Starz ordered the series in June 2026 with Rainey and Joseph Sikora returning as Tariq and Tommy. No premiere date had been announced in the sources I found.
Has Michael Rainey Jr. won an award? He won his first NAACP Image Award in February 2025 for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, after earlier nominations.
Who are Michael Rainey Jr.’s parents? Wikipedia lists Michael Rainey Sr. and Shauna Small, while IMDb trivia gives his mother’s name differently. Both say his mother has Jamaican roots.
What is Michael Rainey Jr.’s net worth? There is no confirmed figure. Some websites give estimates, but they are unverified estimates as of 2026.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available information, including interviews and verified news coverage. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
Written and researched by Laura Castillo, contributor at icons golf cart