Omari Hardwick

Born in Savannah, Georgia on January 9, 1974, Omari Hardwick was the second of four children blessing the union of Clifford and Joyce Hardwick. The family moved to Decatur where Omari excelled in athletics and established himself as a standout, eventually earning himself a college football scholarship. 

Although he had demonstrated a certain flair for the dramatic early in life, it wasn't until his junior year at the University of Georgia that Omari that he began his formal training in acting. While there, he joined the Athens Theater Company and eventually starred in a number of plays including August Wilson’s "Fences."

Soon after graduation, a knee injury cut short his plans for a pro football career. Omari then decided to focus on acting full-time and headed to New York City to hone his skills on the stage before making the move to Los Angeles. After years of perseverance, Omari finally landed a breakout role when Spike Lee cast him as Dante' in Sucker Free City. 

Omari's showbiz career has benefitted from a steady rise ever since, with the versatile thespian exhibiting an enviable acting range in such films as Miracle at St. Anna, Next Day Air, The Gridiron Gang, The Guardian and Beauty Shop. And among his upcoming offerings are The A-Team, For Colored Girls, Bolden and I Will Follow. Meanwhile, he’s also appeared on TV shows like CSI: Miami, Crossing Jordan and Saved, and he currently co-stars opposite Dylan McDermott on TNT’s gritty, cop series Dark Blue.

Here, Omari talks about his controversial new movie, Kick-Ass, the adaptation of the Marvel Comics series which opened up in the #1 spot at the box office. 

Kam Williams: Hey, Omari, nice to meet you, and thanks for the time.

Omari Hardwick: Same here.

KW: What interested you in doing Kick-Ass, such a controversial film?

OH: It was the controversy itself which interested me. I already was a fan of [director] Matthew Vaughn from his collaborations with Guy Ritchie on Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. I met with him early on in the process and appreciated his creative vision. My interest definitely revolved around how an 11 year-old girl would be a superhero and potentially train my character in the sequel. So, of course, I salivated at the opportunity. It was definitely a bold pick, but I had a lot of fun working with a young genius in [co-star] Chloe Moretz. Plus, she’s from Georgia, I’m from Georgia, so everything lined up.

KW: What was your main challenge in doing this film, the action sequences?

OH:  I wouldn’t say it was the physicality, having come to acting from the world of sports. The main challenge was just the scheduling, really, because my TV show, Dark Blue was taking off at the same time, and this was being shot in London for the most part, and then also in Toronto. There was a lot of travel involved and scheduling conflicts, but I had to do it, so I figured a way to get it done.  

KW: Were you surprised when the picture was #1 at the box office? I loved it, and said in my review that it’s the best comic book adaptation since The Dark Knight. It’s also the best blockbuster I’ve seen this year so far.

OH: Man, that’s very humbling for me to hear you say that, Kam. I knew that it would do well, but I didn’t expect this kind of initial reaction. It’s definitely the Pulp Fiction of its day, only with kids.

KW: Laz Lyles was wondering whether you had any pre-conceived notions about what Kick-Ass would be like, and if going into a project with ideas about it tends to prepare you or hinder you?

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