Omari Hardwick (born January 9, 1974) is an American actor, known for his roles in the TV series Saved and Dark Blue, in Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna (2008), and, The A-Team (2010), Kick-Ass (2010), in Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls (2010) and as Andre in BET Network's Being Mary Jane. He currently stars as James "Ghost" St. Patrick in Starz's Power.
Hardwick is the son of Attorney Clifford Hardwick IV and Joyce Hardwick. Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, Hardwick wrote poetry on a regular basis, and participated in many sports. For high school he attended Marist School in Atlanta, Georgia where he excelled in baseball, basketball and football, which eventually led him to a football scholarship for University of Georgia. Even though he was a star on the field, Hardwick continued in acting and poetry, and thus minored in theater. Hardwick is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
After graduation, Hardwick was not selected in the NFL draft but tried to make the roster of the NFL San Diego Chargers.