The Oath, a crime drama executive produced by 50 Cent, is set to premiere Thursday and is expected to be just as thrilling as the rapper-turned-Hollywood execs Starz hit Power.
The Oath, which stars Cory Hardrict, Sean Bean, Ryan Kwanten, Katrina Law, JJ Soria, Kwame Patterson, and Arlen Escarpeta, takes viewers into the world of gangs and corrupt cops, a recipe made for television success.
ESSENCE spoke to Hardrict, who plays Cole Hammond the adopted brother of Kwanten’s Steve, who dished on his character and shared his excitement about starring in the gritty drama.
Going into detail about the series, Hardrict told ESSENCE, “It’s a show about the cop game, and you have a family within the game. But we are sworn to this secret society that’s doing some not so great things out here in the world. But, we’re a family first, so we can never tell the secrets of what goes on but we hold each other accountable for what we do and what we’re responsible for.”
Hammond may be one of Hardrict’s grittiest roles as fans might not be used to seeing him dive into the world of corruption and crime. It’s the character’s various layers that drew Hardrict to the role and the show’s willingness to dive into tough topics.
“What drew me to the character was multilayer. He was adopted, being African American, his dad being white, his brothers being white, this is like something different for me, which is seeing that this family adopted him and embrace him ” he said. “I was able to show a lot of vulnerability and emotions. There’s violence, of course, but its all due to the job. It’s like ten great independent films, that’s what this TV show is like. I was just like, ‘Wow, if it’s there like that, I gotta do it.’ So I was like, ‘Sign me up.'”
The actor adds that the show doesn’t shy away from topics like police violence either. “The first season that we shot, started to delve into what it means to be an African American cop and what he goes through on and off duty. Our show’s creator makes the show happen. He was a police officer, he was a cop for 17 years. So everything that he’s showing you is truly authentic to what he experienced in his life.I’m sure he’s gonna touch on all topics. He’s not pulling any punches. It’s unapologetic and it’s real and it goes on in our day to day world. Hopefully, they will [explore it].
Stream The Oath on Crackle now.