Who is michael rainey jr father

Breaking into the entertainment business is challenging. Some actors rely on their famous parents, while others choose to forge their own paths. One such actor is Michael Rainey Jr. He was born to parents who are not in the entertainment industry. 

The actor catapulted to fame for his portrayal of Tariq St. Patrick in the Power universe. In the first season, he played the son of a drug kingpin, James "Ghost" St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), and was just a young boy in the background. 

However, as the series progressed and Tariq grew older, he became a central character in the Power narrative. Rainey eventually became the lead in Power's sequel, Power Book II: Ghost. In Power Book II, Tariq dealt with the aftermath of his father's death and his mother's imprisonment. 

In his interview with Vibe, the actor alluded to the fact that he did not have an easy relationship with his father, like his character on the show. 

Rainey was born to his parents, Michael Rainey Sr. and Shauna Small. 

There is not much information about his father, and he rarely talks about him, probably because of their strained relationship, which he shared with Vibe. 

Ghost and Tariq’s relationship is kind of similar to me and my father’s relationship. So that’s a reason I relate to those scenes with Ghost and Tariq where they’re really going at each other because that’s something real in my life. 

But while Ghost and Tariq's relationship ends up bloody, he opined that he did not believe in such scenarios and iterated that with proper communication, issues could be fixed, and relationships could turn healthy. 

As for his mother, she is a health coach and owner of Relax Be Healthy, an organic skincare brand, according to his Twitter post. During his candid interview with OnStage TV, he also shared that he was part Jamaican because of his mother's roots. 

His mother was born in Jamaica but immigrated to the United States when she was 12. He shared that he visited the island often as his mother's family still owned a home there. 

Michael Rainey Jr. As Youth Ambassador in Jamaica

As part Jamaican, Rainey also had the support of Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett. 

Bartlett presented a beautiful painting of Jamaica's national bird to Rainey and said that Rainey was the ideal candidate to become the official youth ambassador for the country.

Rainey spent the day with the minister and explored the possibility of using his talent, vision and wisdom to inspire and help the youth of Jamaica. 

The actor also delivered a message of hope and inspiration, stating he wanted to ensure the youth knew anything was possible if they worked hard and stayed positive. 

Rainey wished to use his platform to encourage the youth to believe in their dreams and work for them. 

Michael Rainey Jr.’s parents are Shauna Small and Michael Rainey Sr. The 22-year-old American actor, who is best known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick on the TV series Power, was born to his parents on September 22, 2000, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Shauna and Michael Sr. did not have a footing in the film business to help their son achieve their dreams. They, however, supported him from when he was ten years old. Today, Michael Rainey Jr. is one of the more recognizable faces of all the young actors in Hollywood, making his parents very proud with the few high-profile roles he has executed so far.

Who are Michael Rainey Jr Parents?

Michael Rainey Jr.’s parents have been identified as Shauna Small and Michael Rainey Sr. Details of when or if the couple officially got married are not available to the public, and it is unclear if they are still together.

Regardless of the state of their union, we know that Shauna did not take her husband’s last name and Michael Jr. appears to be their only child as there are no reports of him having any siblings.

Rainey’s Father is a Native of New York

Michael Rainey Jr.’s father is originally from New York. Not much is known about him, including his age and what he does for a living, as he appears to live a private life away from the public. His famous son rarely talks about him, raising suspicions that the two might have a strained relationship.

Rainey Jr. sort of confirmed the strained relationship between the pair when he was speaking about his role as Tariq in an interview with Vibe. He compared the relationship between the character he plays and his onscreen father (James St. Patrick, aka Ghost) to that of him and his actual dad.

For context, Tariq resented his father for abandoning his family to live with another woman. He would later become disrespectful towards him and would start working with his sworn enemies. In the end, Tariq kills his father. Things, however, do not appear to be that bad between Michael Jr. and Sr., but he says he can relate to Tariq’s actions and behavior because it is something real in his life.

His Mother is a Health Coach and Beauty Business Owner From Jamaica

Michael Rainey Jr’s mother, Shauna Small, was born in Jamaica but immigrated to the United States as a teenager. Details of when she was born and who her family are is not known. However, it is known that she schooled in the US, attending the College of Staten Island, where she acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/English.

In 2015, Shauna returned to school, enrolling at Concordia University-Portland, where she completed the requirements to be awarded a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Michael’s mom has since gone on to make a living as a health coach.

She established Our Learning House, Inc. in 2004, a company that provides childcare workers with online and in-person training. Shauna Smalls also owns an organic skincare brand known as Relax Be Healthy and serves as the business manager of her son through Higher Level Talents, Inc. Because Shauna has family that still lives in the island country, she and her son have visited the place.

Thanks to the fame he has achieved in his career, he was made a Youth Ambassador of Jamaica by the country’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett. The actor promised to use his platform to promote the country and encourage the youth to believe in their dreams and work towards them. He also got to meet the country’s president.

Michael Rainey Jr is an African-American of Jamaican Descent

Micheal Rainey Jr was born in the US State of Kentucky, making his nationality American. He is African American by ethnicity but of Jamaican descent due to his mother’s origins.

The actor spent the first year of his life in his birth city of Louisville before moving to New York. He was mainly raised in the Brooklyn borough of the city. By the time he turned 10 years old, Michael, began making strides toward becoming an actor. It is not clear what education he received to enable him to launch his career, but he was able to land a few notable roles at that age.

Michael Rainey Jr.’s first appearance was in the movie Un Altro Mondo. He also appeared in films like Waiting Room and Sunny & Share Love You. However, the role that put him on the map was that of Michael Burset in Orange Is the New Black, where he had a recurring role. Other notable roles Michael had before playing Tariq in Power (2014-2020) and its sequel/spin-off Book II (2020-present) include LUV (2012), The Butler (2013), Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), etc.

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