美国国家公共电台 NPR Naturi Naughton & Omari Hardwick: Power Puzzlers

Naturi Naughton & Omari Hardwick: Power Puzzlers

JONATHAN COULTON: This is NPR's ASK ME ANOTHER. I'm Jonathan Coulton, here with puzzle guru Art Chung. Now here's your host, Ophira Eisenberg.

(APPLAUSE)

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Thank you, Jonathan. Soon we're going to find out which of our two contestant 1 finalists, Mary and Joey, will be today's big winner.

EISENBERG: But it's time to welcome our special guests. From the Starz show "Power," it's Naturi Naughton and Omari Hardwick.

(APPLAUSE)

OMARI HARDWICK: Hello.

NATURI NAUGHTON: What's up?

EISENBERG: Now, in the series "Power," Omari plays the main character Ghost, who has a double life. He's a nightclub owner but also a drug kingpin who is trying to go straight. Naturi plays his wife Tasha...

NAUGHTON: Yes.

EISENBERG: ...Who is power hungry in her own way. Now, your characters - you have these amazing characters...

NAUGHTON: Yes.

EISENBERG: ...Who are dealing 2 - its like hero fallen. You know, we have a lot of these sort of classic stories.

HARDWICK: Yeah.

EISENBERG: But you're here for your characters. Did you draw on any inspiration from characters in film or television or theater to inform how you wanted to play Tasha and how you wanted to play Ghost?

NAUGHTON: I mean, yeah, that's a good question. For Tasha, movies I don't know, "Casino," "The Sopranos." I watched "Carlito's Way."

HARDWICK: "Carlito's Way," for sure.

NAUGHTON: Yeah. The male character of Ghost is also supported by these really strong badass women. And I think when you watch, you know, different shows whether it's about drugs or whatever, the mafia, you see their women are just as gangster 5. You know, Omari's like - you know, I'm 5-feet, and, you know, he's coming up, like, in the camera test for the role very strong. And I went right back at him, like, yeah, and what.

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: Why you take the money, Ghost? Don't think I'm stupid. I ain't Boo Boo the Fool. And I just remember that...

HARDWICK: She got the part.

NAUGHTON: ...Was one of the things that helped me get the role...

HARDWICK: That's true.

NAUGHTON: ...Because you have to be fearless.

EISENBERG: And Omari, for your character, Ghost?

HARDWICK: I think - you know, I tried to stay away from visuals too much because I didn't want to misinform what I could bring or sort of cloud that. But maybe just thinking about the themes - I read "Moby-Dick" before season one because he was so narcissistic 6 and...

EISENBERG: Congratulations, I would never get through this.

HARDWICK: I read it - I know, it's crazy. I wanted to read it because I thought Ghost, if anything, was this narcissistic nut who was so insecure in ways that he didn't take anybody's no for an answer. And this crazy quest for a whale and in the book "Moby-Dick," it made a lot of sense. So I tried to draw some odd parallels to the guy...

EISENBERG: Yeah.

HARDWICK: ...Just to bring something different to him...

EISENBERG: Yeah.

HARDWICK: ...You know?

EISENBERG: Now, you mentioned 50 Cent. Obviously, he's the executive producer and also plays a major role on this show.

HARDWICK: Major, major role, Kanan, yeah.

EISENBERG: And what's it like to work with him? Did you know him before?

NAUGHTON: I didn't know...

HARDWICK: You had loosely - yeah.

NAUGHTON: I mean, I had loosely met him...

EISENBERG: Yeah.

NAUGHTON: ...Just from, like, the record business being in a girl group way back when I was a teenager. But I always remembered when 50 first came out. I met him at - probably a club date. And I think "In Da Club" had just popped off.

HARDWICK: (Singing) Go shorty...

NAUGHTON: Yes. (Singing) It's your birthday.

HARDWICK: (Singing) ...It's your birthday.

NAUGHTON: (Singing) We're going to party like - hey...

HARDWICK: Was it your birthday?

NAUGHTON: No, but I still was partying like it was my birthday.

HARDWICK: That would have been cool.

NAUGHTON: Now, that's how - I was like who is this 50 Cent.

HARDWICK: That would have been cool.

NAUGHTON: And I got to meet him - down to earth, cool. And still to this day, still down to earth, still grounded, enjoys our show like we're family.

HARDWICK: Very invested, shows up on set.

NAUGHTON: He's very passionate 7, so that...

HARDWICK: Cool guy, man.

NAUGHTON: ...Is dope, yeah.

EISENBERG: Have you been over to his house to hang out?

NAUGHTON: Oh, Omari has.

HARDWICK: Yeah, I go a lot.

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah?

NAUGHTON: Yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: Didn't he buy, like, Mike Tyson's...

EISENBERG: Yeah.

HARDWICK: He bought...

NAUGHTON: Yeah, something crazy - yeah.

HARDWICK: ...Mike Tyson's house.

NAUGHTON: He knows.

EISENBERG: Give me a top-10 moment in the house.

HARDWICK: (Laughter) Top-10 moment in the house?

NAUGHTON: You know what? You're asking for too much.

EISENBERG: All right.

NAUGHTON: You're asking for too much. No, I'm just joking.

HARDWICK: Top-10 moment in the house. This microphone is very intimidating 8 to me.

EISENBERG: Yeah?

NAUGHTON: Oh, I love it. It makes me want to sing. You know, something about this, like, I literally 9...

EISENBERG: That's inter 10 - you know, you are what they call in the biz a triple threat, right, Naturi? You're a singer...

NAUGHTON: Oh, thank you.

EISENBERG: ...Dancer, actor. Yeah, I hear also you were a - is this in high school, perhaps younger, I don't know - a competitive double Dutch champion.

NAUGHTON: Yes.

HARDWICK: What?

EISENBERG: Did you know that?

HARDWICK: You never shared that with me.

EISENBERG: A champion.

NAUGHTON: This is like - I actually loved double Dutch. And I was very...

HARDWICK: Were you a champ, for real?

NAUGHTON: ...Very - no, for real. Like, in - this was, like, in grade school, seventh and eighth grade.

EISENBERG: OK.

NAUGHTON: Yeah, I don't know.

EISENBERG: Was it in compulsory 11, freestyle or speed rope?

NAUGHTON: Wow, you're really good.

EISENBERG: I just, you know...

NAUGHTON: Well, I grew up in the 'hood 12 in Jersey 13, and we were just competing on a real regular level in East Orange. It was basically tricks. Like...

EISENBERG: Yeah, yeah.

NAUGHTON: ...I was really good at tricks and really, really good at the length of jumping. I could just jump and keep jumping for an extended amount of time.

EISENBERG: Endurance forever.

NAUGHTON: Endurance. But, yeah...

HARDWICK: She's still like that.

NAUGHTON: ...No, I loved it.

EISENBERG: So this show has so many dramatic plot twists and turns.

HARDWICK: Yeah.

EISENBERG: How far ahead of time are - do you have the script in hand - like, are you getting scripts and have no idea? You're, like, rushing through to make sure you're still alive?

HARDWICK: In the beginning they did. And then ultimately, we got to a place - and I become a sounding board, obviously. So you'll get Naturi knocking on my door - Omari, you got the script yet? (Unintelligible) knocking on my door...

NAUGHTON: We talk about it amongst each other.

HARDWICK: Omari, you got the script yet? Joe - Omari, you got the script? I might not have the script, but I'll have the theme of the script. So finally, the four of us started - we were kind of in front of the other cast members, at least in terms of knowing sort of. But you don't - sometimes you don't want to know that far ahead.

NAUGHTON: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

HARDWICK: You want to be where you are in that episode, so...

NAUGHTON: But we're really lucky, too, to that. Now that we're in season 3, we've been very fortunate to have a group of writers - and led by Courtney Kemp, our show-runner - be, like, how do you feel about Tasha? Where would you like to see her go? We say, OK, I want Tasha to have a new side piece this year.

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: I mean, 'cause they done killed my boo, Shawn. R.I.P. Shawn, played by the amazing Sinqua Walls.

HARDWICK: Did he die?

NAUGHTON: But, you know...

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: And, oh, did he die? You know what - but that's the thing. I think we're very much a part of the conversation, which is nice.

EISENBERG: That is very cool. So you're starting season three. If people are starting to watch right now, they're just like, oh, my God, I have to get in on "Power," how would you suggest they watch the show? Should they chill out with a glass of wine? Should they...

HARDWICK: Oh, this is cool.

EISENBERG: ...Put aside, like, two weekends?

NAUGHTON: Like, set the ambiance. How would we suggest...

HARDWICK: What we've asked often, now that we know there's so many "Power" parties, we've asked, like, salty or sweet 'cause your snacks tell a lot about you, so...

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah.

NAUGHTON: That's good.

HARDWICK: Do you like salty snacks...

NAUGHTON: Yeah, that...

HARDWICK: ...Or sweet snacks?

NAUGHTON: Or wine or...

HARDWICK: Or liquor.

NAUGHTON: ...Liquor.

EISENBERG: Yeah.

NAUGHTON: I've actually...

HARDWICK: Should you watch it with your significant other since you were talking about boo?

UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE: No.

NAUGHTON: Yes.

HARDWICK: No.

NAUGHTON: Yes. Couples should watch this together. You might get turned...

HARDWICK: No.

NAUGHTON: ...On by seeing us. You might want to try it at home.

HARDWICK: No, no.

NAUGHTON: You know what I'm saying? Why not? Watch it with your mates.

HARDWICK: So watching it with your couple ends up bad, why?

EISENBERG: Because they want to enjoy it all to themselves.

HARDWICK: (Unintelligible).

NAUGHTON: Really? Oh, y'all are just a mess.

HARDWICK: That - she said what she said.

NAUGHTON: Y'all are a mess.

HARDWICK: Thank you all for being here. This is...

NAUGHTON: Yeah, this is...

HARDWICK: ...Super...

NAUGHTON: ...Awesome 14.

HARDWICK: ...Cool.

(APPLAUSE)

HARDWICK: Actually...

NAUGHTON: Can we do this again?

HARDWICK: ...I don't know if Naturi and I have ever done anything like this.

NAUGHTON: We have never done anything like this...

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah?

NAUGHTON: ...And this is the coolest. You guys are the coolest.

HARDWICK: Yeah.

NAUGHTON: So thank y'all for being here.

EISENBERG: So...

(APPLAUSE)

HARDWICK: It's super cool.

(APPLAUSE)

HARDWICK: Thank y'all.

EISENBERG: We have another element for you...

HARDWICK: Oh.

NAUGHTON: OK.

EISENBERG: ...Which is an ASK ME ANOTHER challenge.

NAUGHTON: Why do I suddenly get nervous?

EISENBERG: No, you're going to fine.

HARDWICK: Man, it's 'cause you know I'm going to take you down.

NAUGHTON: I'm very competitive...

EISENBERG: ...Because...

NAUGHTON: ...Guys.

EISENBERG: ...Here's what happened, Naturi - we asked what topic would be equally interesting and challenging for both of you, and what you told us was 1990s R&B music.

NAUGHTON: That's...

(CHEERING)

NAUGHTON: I could dig that.

EISENBERG: Yeah?

NAUGHTON: I like that, yeah.

EISENBERG: OK.

HARDWICK: Yeah.

EISENBERG: So in this game, we're going to read lyrics 15 from some...

HARDWICK: Oh, man.

EISENBERG: ...Classic '90s R&B hits.

HARDWICK: Are - is the audience helping 16 you out?

EISENBERG: The audience is not helping you out.

NAUGHTON: Don't help us.

EISENBERG: So all you have to do is give us the title of the song, which happens to be the next line. So we will leave that out, and you have to ring in.

NAUGHTON: Oh, my gosh...

HARDWICK: All right.

NAUGHTON: This is the most fun I've had all week, guys.

HARDWICK: Nice.

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: You're so cute.

HARDWICK: Yeah.

NAUGHTON: OK, ready.

HARDWICK: Yup.

EISENBERG: All right, here's your first one that I'm going to read. And I will not read it well just to make it more difficult.

COULTON: Disclaimer.

EISENBERG: No, I don't want your number. No, I don't want to give you mine.

HARDWICK: Stop.

EISENBERG: And no, I don't want to meet you nowhere. No, don't want none of your time. And no, I don't want.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Naturi.

NAUGHTON: (Singing) I don't want no scrubs. A scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me, hanging on a passenger side of his best friend's ride, trying to holler at me.

(APPLAUSE)

HARDWICK: Hey.

NAUGHTON: TLC. Hello. I mean, I knew it from like the first word.

EISENBERG: I am not sure you knew the...

HARDWICK: That was...

EISENBERG: ...Answer.

HARDWICK: ...Freaking awesome.

EISENBERG: That was amazing. That was amazing.

COULTON: I guess we'll accept that answer.

EISENBERG: That's correct.

COULTON: I guess we'll accept that.

NAUGHTON: Oh...

EISENBERG: That's correct.

NAUGHTON: ...I was like...

HARDWICK: That was...

NAUGHTON: ...It's called "Scrubs" by TLC.

HARDWICK: That was freaking awesome, man.

COULTON: Don't leave me in all this pain. Don't leave me out in the rain. Come back and bring back my smile. Come...

HARDWICK: Oh, got it.

COULTON: ...And take these tears away. I need your arms to hold me now. The nights are so unkind. Bring back those nights when I held you beside me.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Naturi.

NAUGHTON: Uh, Boyz II Men.

HARDWICK: Boyz II Men. Toni Braxton.

NAUGHTON: Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, "Un-Break My Heart." I'm sorry. I'm thinking - OK, OK, go.

HARDWICK: "Un-Break My Heart,"...

NAUGHTON: Dagone (ph) it.

HARDWICK: ...Toni Braxton.

NAUGHTON: I wasn't thinking.

COULTON: That's correct. "Un-Break My Heart"...

NAUGHTON: OK, OK.

COULTON: ...Is correct.

HARDWICK: I can't sing it.

NAUGHTON: I thought for a second...

HARDWICK: I can't sing it.

(APPLAUSE)

NAUGHTON: I was thinking - good job, good job.

HARDWICK: I just remember...

NAUGHTON: (Singing) Un-Break my heart.

HARDWICK: I remember that - tell me if I'm wrong.

NAUGHTON: I love that song.

HARDWICK: Tyson Beckford was in the freaking video.

NAUGHTON: Yes. You know what? And I know that...

HARDWICK: And it was...

NAUGHTON: I'm actually mad that...

HARDWICK: ...The first...

NAUGHTON: ...That I didn't get that.

HARDWICK: It was fine-ass 3 Toni Braxton.

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: Yes.

HARDWICK: Like before...

NAUGHTON: She had the big hair.

HARDWICK: ...The short cut. It was the shit.

NAUGHTON: Her body was giving me - and she was, like, (singing) un-break my heart. Ah-ah. (Unintelligible).

HARDWICK: Yeah.

EISENBERG: Yeah.

HARDWICK: Gave that look.

NAUGHTON: (Singing, unintelligible).

HARDWICK: Yes, Turi.

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: OK, so yes...

HARDWICK: Who's there? Yes.

NAUGHTON: OK, that was good.

HARDWICK: Yes.

EISENBERG: All right, here's your next one. You guys are doing great. There are miracles in life I must achieve. But first, I know...

HARDWICK: Oh, I got it.

EISENBERG: ...It starts inside of me.

HARDWICK: Stop, stop.

EISENBERG: Oh, if I can see it, then I can be it. If I just believe it, there's nothing to it.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

NAUGHTON: Whitney Houston...

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Yes.

NAUGHTON: ...Right? No.

HARDWICK: What?

NAUGHTON: It definitely is Whitney and Mariah Carey.

HARDWICK: Oh, really? No. My mind - I heard R. Kelly. I might be off - R. Kelly.

NAUGHTON: Oh, my gosh, why do I...

ART CHUNG: What's the song...

NAUGHTON: ...Hear all of the songs that I want to hear?

(APPLAUSE)

NAUGHTON: Wait, no. It's - oh, my God, it's R. Kelly - wait, "I Believe I Can Fly."

EISENBERG: Yes.

NAUGHTON: Wait, but why...

COULTON: (Laughter) That's correct.

NAUGHTON: ...Did I think you were saying - I think I just love Whitney Houston so much...

HARDWICK: I'm older than her. I'm cheating.

NAUGHTON: OK, so...

EISENBERG: I don't know...

NAUGHTON: I don't know if he got that 'cause...

EISENBERG: I don't know who's winning, by the way. I have no idea.

NAUGHTON: Well, that's a half a point.

COULTON: I feel like everybody's winning. I feel like everybody's winning.

NAUGHTON: I feel like that was a half a point...

CHUNG: You each get half a point.

NAUGHTON: ...Because I actually got the title. You got the artist. So we share the point, 1 and a half.

EISENBERG: Yeah, you can share the point.

NAUGHTON: OK, cool.

HARDWICK: What title did you say?

EISENBERG: You've got a couple more.

NAUGHTON: I said "I Believe I Can Fly." That's the actual song. OK, let's go to the next one, tiebreaker.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: When will you get the picture? You are the past. I'm the future. Get away. It's my time to shine, if you didn't know.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Naturi.

NAUGHTON: Wait a minute...

COULTON: Yes.

NAUGHTON: Why are you reading it that way?

(LAUGHTER)

NAUGHTON: Because that was so weird 17 because you didn't add any melody to it.

EISENBERG: Can you read it again for her?

NAUGHTON: Can you just say that with...

COULTON: I'll read it again. I'll read it again.

NAUGHTON: But not as, like...

HARDWICK: Monotone.

COULTON: Not as white?

NAUGHTON: Well, no, I wasn't...

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: It's all I got.

NAUGHTON: I was not going to say that.

COULTON: It's all I got.

NAUGHTON: I was not going to say that, guys, but OK. OK, so one more time with a little more uh (ph).

HARDWICK: A little bit more uh...

COULTON: When will you get the picture? You're the past. I'm the future. Get away. It's my time to shine.

NAUGHTON: Oh, when we're...

HARDWICK: Oh.

COULTON: If you didn't know...

HARDWICK: Oh, word...

NAUGHTON: (Singing) If you didn't...

HARDWICK: ...That's a great song.

NAUGHTON: (Singing) ...When will you get the picture...

COULTON: There you go.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

NAUGHTON: (Singing) ...Na na na.

OK, well, I needed a melody.

COULTON: No, I didn't...

NAUGHTON: That is Brandy and Monica...

HARDWICK: That's great.

HARDWICK: ..."The Boy Is Mine."

COULTON: That's right.

(APPLAUSE)

HARDWICK: Yeah, all right.

NAUGHTON: I'm sorry, that was so tricky 18.

HARDWICK: That was great.

NAUGHTON: OK...

EISENBERG: All right, here's your last one.

NAUGHTON: So I'm at two and a half, just keep...

HARDWICK: No, not two and a half.

EISENBERG: (Laughing) Two and a half.

(CHEERING)

NAUGHTON: Keeping tally 19, keeping tally.

EISENBERG: This is a short one.

NAUGHTON: OK.

EISENBERG: You acting 20 kind of shady, ain't calling me baby. Why the sudden change?

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

HARDWICK: I'm going to let her have that.

NAUGHTON: (Singing) Say my name, say my name.

HARDWICK: I'm going to let her have that.

EISENBERG: Yeah.

(APPLAUSE)

HARDWICK: I'm going to let her have that.

NAUGHTON: Destiny's Child. Destiny's Child, "Say My Name."

HARDWICK: Sing it. Let...

EISENBERG: That is correct.

HARDWICK: I'm dropping the mic.

HARDWICK: ...Get - I want all the ladies to sing it (laughter).

(APPLAUSE)

NAUGHTON: I'm dropping it. Thank you guys for giving us something fun.

EISENBERG: My pleasure.

HARDWICK: Thank you all.

EISENBERG: "Power" airs Sunday on Starz...

HARDWICK: Sunday.

EISENBERG: ...Please give it up one more time for Omari Hardwick and Naturi Naughton.

(CHEERING)

HARDWICK: Thank y'all.

NAUGHTON: Thank you so much.

HARDWICK: You've been a great crowd.

NAUGHTON: You guys have been awesome.

HARDWICK: "Power," man.

NAUGHTON: We love you.

HARDWICK: Love you guys.

COULTON: (Singing) Scrub is a guy that thinks he's fly - he's also known as a buster - always talking 'bout 4 what he wants and just sits on his broke ass. So no, I don't want your number. No, I don't want to give you mine. And no, I don't want to meet you nowhere, no, don't want none of your time. And no, I don't want no Scrub. Scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me - hanging out the passenger side of his best friend's ride, trying to holler at me. I don't want no Scrub. Scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me - hanging out the passenger side of his best friend's ride, trying to holler at me.

EISENBERG: Jonathan Coulton, everybody.

(APPLAUSE)