Michael Rainey Jr. may be well-known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick on STARZ’s “Power” and its spin-offs, but the actor’s other moves prove he’s not slowing down anytime soon. With a boohooMAN collection also on his resume, Rainey stepped fully into the fashion world with a ‘70s-inspired line that blends nostalgia with his modern-day streetwear flair. From knits and corduroy to faux leather staples, the collab reflects his personal style and creative vision. In this exclusive conversation with REVOLT, Rainey opens up about his love for fashion, runway ambitions, dream movie roles, and what keeps him evolving. He also looks back on the woman who helped launch his career, and the bold future he’s carving out on his own terms. Read what he had to say below.

Your boohooMAN collection has a clear ’70s vibe with knits, corduroy, and faux leather. What drew you to that era, and how did you put your own spin on it?

I personally like watching period pieces, like films or TV shows that are based in, like, an older time, like [the] ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘70s. That kind of was my inspiration behind everything... Even, like other brands, we work and re-innovate the older eras of fashion and bring it into modern time. That's kind of where my inspiration came from. And also, I feel like it helped bring a different type of look to boohooMan itself.

Why boohooMAN?

Well to be honest, I feel like they give a lot of a lot of creators, just people that are in the space, a chance to show their kind of creativity with these collabs. Like, I saw what they did with DDG, Trippie Redd, and everything else they did before they even reached out to me. So, honestly, I was pretty interested in it. They really give you all the freedom you want, you know, all the control. They really let you make your collection yours. [These] are a few things that drew me in.

Growing up between Louisville and Staten Island, how did those places shape your style and work ethic?

I really only grew up in Staten Island. Well, not in Staten Island. I would say New York. My parents moved from Louisville when I was like two months. I don't really know much about Louisville. But just being in New York, you see different types of people, different types of styles.

So I would say just growing up, just seeing different people and how the styles in the city evolve throughout the years. That's kind of what shaped me with my style. And obviously my work ethic, you know, everyone in New York is always moving at a million miles an hour. Like everyone's moving fast, always got stuff to do. So just that alone, you know, everyone's on their toes. Just being in New York, you just kinda get that embedded in you… That work ethic, that moving around, always trying to get stuff done.

You corrected me and said New York instead of Staten Island, why is that? I’ve got friends out there and I’m always teasing them, like, “Staten Island’s not even part of New York!”

Nah, I only said New York because New York as a whole kinda inspired my style and everything I do. You know what I'm saying? Like obviously Staten Island is where I'm from. I'm representing Staten Island, don't get me wrong. Okay? I'm representing Staten Island. Everybody be taling crazy about Staten Island so I'm used to it. But, nah I really just said New York as a whole because I've seen everything from Brooklyn to Harlem to Queens to Manhattan, you know, like it's just so versatile. So I was just gonna say New York as a whole. Like Staten Island, we got a little thing going on too, but New York as a whole has just so much going on that I couldn't ignore the whole New York. You know?

You’ve built a name in acting, and have been also carving out space in fashion. What made you want to step into modeling and brand collaborations?

To be honest, it just looks fun. You know? Like, it looks super fun from the photo shoots to even having just creative direction, working with certain brands, and getting to create your vision and bring your vision to life. So, just stuff like that. But as far as just, like, trying to step into the space, I would definitely just say the modeling aspect… I just like the concept of how they set up certain shoots and pick locations and match colors from certain locations with whatever outfits or look they're capturing. So, all of that stuff is super interesting to me. And it's kind of similar to film and TV in that way, like just being on set all day, shooting for eight to ten hours a day, like all of that stuff is super familiar. So, I find it enjoyable.

What goals do you have in mind in terms of modeling?

I feel like there's a few things to knock out stepping into the model space as a man. Like, you gotta go GQ. You know? I'm ready to knock out everything as far as modeling. I can’t really narrow it down to a certain few things.

What about the runway?

Yeah, definitely runway too. I forgot about runway. Runway is pretty fire. I'll probably be nervous. Like, I'll probably be overthinking my walk or something. But, runway is definitely in there for sure so hopefully we see that happen soon. There's definitely a lot of things, but GQ is definitely one of the ones. Like, that's up there for sure, 100 percent.

Who are some of your style or fashion icons?

Man, there's so many. Like when I was little, I was in my Michael Jackson era. And when he passed away, I don't know what about me took it so to heart. I guess because we had the same name. I was like, “Damn, twin.” Like that's my twin. It was at least a three-year run where I thought I was Michael Jackson, dancing like him, listening to all the music. I was searching for that one “Thriller” jacket for the longest. I still haven't found it. But, I would say like Michael Jackson and being from New York, obviously, gotta shout out Jim Jones, Cam. Gotta shoutout Bloody Osiris for sure. Buddy Dior, you know, those are huge for the fashion in New York. That’s probably what I would say, off the bat. But there's obviously a lot of inspirations. As far as icons, I don't know as far as icons but millions of inspirations, for sure. Even like down to like Jimi Hendrix, because you know I like the old ‘70s type style. I got to throw him in it too.

As far as acting, what type of roles are you looking for and what kinds of characters are you most excited to tackle?

I'm really excited to just tackle things that are very different from what I've been doing. So, obviously more action. The super action type stuff, not just like shootouts and fights and all that, but like, real action, like crane shots, all type of crazy stuff like that. Some comedy, of course. I would love to be a part of some comedy. Some [romantic comedies]. Just a lot of different things, honestly. I'm open to trying everything. Everything that's different from what I've been doing for the past few years. Literally everything other than just being a dark sociopath (Laughs).

Are there any directors, writers, or actors you would love to work with?

That's a good question. Growing up, obviously being a Knicks fan, you know, always seeing Spike [Lee] at the games, and obviously just knowing Spike and all the legendary work he's done. I would love to do something with Spike. I’d love to work with my Top 5, literally anybody that's in my top five. That's like Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson. Those dudes are in my Top 5, so I would love to share the screen with any one of those dudes, 100 percent.

You’ve grown up in the public eye. How do you stay motivated to keep evolving instead of being boxed into one type of role?

That honestly just comes within myself. Like, just wanting to try different things and just keep the ball rolling and kinda just raising the standard, keep raising the bar, and just keep challenging myself. Also just taking in everything that my peers are doing, getting inspiration from my counterparts. So, stuff like that. But definitely most of it just comes from within myself. Just wanting to keep the ball rolling. I feel like you don't go to a certain point just to stay at that certain point, you gotta keep going.

You started acting pretty young. Was it always your dream, or was it something your parents introduced you to?

It was a little bit of both. I always would watch TV like Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network and all of that stuff and just be like, “Dang, these kids probably having so much fun just on set filming.” But I never really vocalized it to my parents like, “Oh ma, I wanna be an actor.” I never really pushed them to put me into that type of stuff, it really just happened.

A lady named Gina she saw me and my mom walking, and I don't know what in her mind made her think that I would be a good look on screen, but I guess she wasn't wrong when she took that chance. She walked up to my mom, and they just started having a conversation and from there it was just history. She started getting me into auditions, photo shoots and stuff like that. And, one thing led to another, and here I am now. So, it's definitely a little bit of both. I always saw it and always looked at it like it was a cool thing, but I wouldn't say I fully pursued it at a young age. I was playing sports, like basketball and skateboarding and stuff like that. And then the acting thing kinda just took over after a while.

That so crazy, in a good way. Are you still in contact with Gina?

I haven't spoken to Gina in a long time. Actually, I gotta reach out to her. She definitely plays a role in my life changing, for sure. I gotta find her. I don't know how I'ma find her, but I'll find her for sure.

How old were you then?

I was probably 8 or 9 when I met Gina.

What do you hope people will say in the future about the “Michael Rainey Jr.” brand and not just the actor?

I just want them to say that I never stopped evolving, and I always kept on pushing the boundaries and always was doing something new. So, like a lot of the stuff that I have in the works right now… There's a lot of things that people really wouldn't expect from me unless they really are in tune with me and really follow me on my day to day. There's a lot of things I wanna do and put out there and show the world. So, I feel like five years from now, I just want them to be like, “He was always, doing something new, doing something different, and always pushing the bar.” I appreciate the questions. Those were good.