Joseph Sikora On The Similarities Between Himself And Tommy Egan In Power Book IV: Force - Exclusive
Joseph Sikora is a familiar face to television and film viewers thanks to a two-decade acting career boasting dozens of screen credits. You may recognize Sikora in TV hits including "Lost," "Ozark," "Boardwalk Empire," "True Detective," and many more, while his big-screen work includes roles in such films as the Julia Roberts-starring "My Best Friend's Wedding," and director Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island."
For viewers of Starz hit "Power," however, Sikora is most recognized for his six seasons as gangster Tommy Egan. Following the end of the show's run, Sikora is returning to play Tommy in a new spinoff, "Power Book IV: Force." Set after the events of the "Power" finale, Tommy decides to leave New York City — the only home he's ever known — and winds up in Chicago to settle some old business. While there, he finds himself smack-dab in the midst of the city's illegal drug trade and sees a rare opportunity to use his particular set of skills to take control of it all.
Speaking with Nicki Swift in an exclusive interview, Sikora opens up about the similarities he shares with Tommy after playing the character for all those years.
Joseph Sikora brought his life experience to the role of Tommy Egan
After six seasons of portraying Tommy Egan on "Power," and now reprising the role in spinoff "Power Book IV: Force," has Joseph Sikora taken on any of his character's violent character traits? "No," Sikora quips. "My wife would not put up with that."
He does, however, concede that there are some similarities between him and Tommy. "I mean, they're the exact similarities that I made up on the first day of filming, before the first day," he explains. "It's all of the homework that I did. Obviously, I think any actor worth their salt brings part of their own life and experience to the character. And then there's, of course, the other parts that you fill in from experiences, things that you've known, things that you imagine, and that's our responsibility to be a vessel, but make up the most exciting and strong character that you can to make the best choices in these situations."
And even if they find themselves in very different situations, Tommy and Sikora can still find plenty in common. "We're both very loyal," Sikora shares. "We're both very heated. We get heated very fast. But unlike Tommy, I've gone to anger management therapy, and I still see my therapist every week, and I work on my mental health, whereas Tommy does not."
The aspects of Tommy's personality that Joseph Sikora wishes he possessed
Having played Tommy Egan since the debut of "Power" in 2014, Joseph Sikora knows that character inside and out at this point. "So he's still incredibly, incredibly volatile," he explains. "We both are proud. We're both urban guys. So there's that."
Meanwhile, there are other facets of Tommy's personality that Sikora admits to coveting. "I wish I had, like his confidence, and his sticking to his gut, trusting his gut," he says. "And we're both very loyal, like I said, but Tommy's extreme loyalty is almost to a fault at times. We're both very sensitive, too. But in Tommy, you don't know Tommy's sensitive. We only know Tommy's sensitive as an audience because we saw him behind closed doors, alone in his private time. And I love exploring those moments with Tommy."
"Power Book IV: Force" premieres Sunday, February 6 on STARZ.