- Nia Whitmore is an ambitious boss who prioritizes her career legacy over personal relationships, deserving compassion despite appearing villainous.
- Zuri Reynolds navigates workplace survival by balancing her desire for reinvention with old instincts, eventually standing up to her boss.
- The series tackles deepfake technology and digital deception as central conflicts forcing characters to protect their reputations and authenticity.
Corporate chaos, complicated connections, and a deepfake scandal? Urban One’s Power & Influence is serving up workplace drama with a digital twist, and BOSSIP and Cassius are unpacking it all on the latest episode of The Black Watch.
This week, BOSSIP Managing Editor Dani Canada and panelist Carl Foreman Jr. welcome actresses Ivory Shields and Tanazia Madan, who portray Nia Whitmore and Zuri Reynolds, respectively, for an exclusive conversation about the scripted microseries and the blurred lines between professional ambition, personal relationships, and online deception.
Set inside a Black creative agency in Atlanta, Power & Influence follows a group of professionals navigating shifting loyalties, complicated romantic entanglements and a scandal involving deepfake technology.
With episodes running approximately 90 seconds, the series delivers rapid-fire revelations that leave viewers questioning who’s telling the truth and who’s protecting their own interests.
And according to its leading ladies, there’s much more beneath the surface of their characters than audiences might initially realize.
Ivory Shields Says Her ‘Villain-Adjacent’ Character Nia Whitmore Deserves Some Grace
As the ambitious Nia Whitmore, Shields portrays a woman determined to protect the career and reputation she’s worked to build, even when her personal relationships become collateral damage.
“She is very protective about the legacy that she wants to leave behind in her career,” said Ivory on The Black Watch.
Shields described Nia as an unapologetic boss whose professional ambition is undeniable, even as her personal life becomes considerably more complicated.
Asked how Nia balances her relationships with her career, Shields offered a candid response.
“Yeah, she doesn’t,” she said with a laugh.
Shields explained that Nia tries to remain grounded, including through therapy, but her relationships often suffer because of her professional priorities.
The actress also argued that Nia represents women who choose to pursue fulfillment outside traditional expectations surrounding marriage and motherhood.
“Her career is the legacy that she wants to leave behind.”
And while some viewers might see Nia as the show’s resident villain, Shields hopes audiences will consider the character’s motivations before passing judgment.
“She’s villain-esque.”
According to the actress, her character deserves compassion, particularly when considering how society judges ambitious women differently from their male counterparts.
“She is a woman who is just unapologetic about being who she is.”
Tanazia Madan Talks Zuri Reynolds’ Reinvention & Workplace Power Struggles
For Madan, Zuri Reynolds’ journey is about navigating a new professional environment while trying to become a different version of herself.
Zuri arrives at the agency with aspirations of starting fresh, but quickly discovers that its complicated power dynamics may require her to revisit some familiar survival instincts.
“She’s doing it the best she can. She’s kind of bringing a little bit of her past with her,” said Madan on The Black Watch.
The actress explained that Zuri initially tries to observe the workplace dynamics before realizing that she must become more assertive to survive.
“I gotta tap in. I gotta lock in.”
That internal struggle becomes a defining part of Zuri’s storyline, particularly as her past threatens to interfere with the future she’s trying to build.
“We always have the new person we’re trying to be and our old ways that creep back up.”
She also encouraged audiences to pay attention to Zuri’s subtle reactions and evolving confidence, noting that the character’s growth doesn’t always follow a straight line.
Both actresses singled out a particularly tense confrontation between Nia and Zuri as one of their favorite scenes, noting that it marks a turning point in their characters’ complicated power dynamic.
In the scene Nia speaks down to Zuri only for the younger employee to finally stand her ground.
“I really like that scene where I speak down to you and you really stand your ground with me,” Shields said. “We finally see you have a moment where you stand up for yourself.”
The confrontation includes a particularly pointed exchange about Zuri’s South Side upbringing.
“The South Side didn’t teach you standards,” Nia says.
“You know what the South Side taught me? Who not to play with!” Zuri fires back.
Madan agreed that the exchange was one of her favorite moments, recalling how satisfying it was to finally see Zuri push back against her boss.
“That was also my favorite scene,” Madan said. “When she was coming at me and I finally had a voice to be like, hold on.”
The actress added that she was excited about the confrontation from the moment she read the script.
It was my favorite to shoot,” she added. “Even when I read it, I was like, finally, she gets her moment.”
Shields echoed the sentiment, joking that Zuri had finally developed a backbone.
‘Power & Influence’ Stars Discuss Deepfakes, Digital Deception & Protecting Their Legacies
Beyond its workplace rivalries and romantic entanglements, Power & Influence raises questions about the growing influence of artificial intelligence and the consequences of manipulated content circulating online.
A deepfake scandal becomes a major source of conflict for the agency, forcing its employees to confront questions about authenticity, public perception and the lengths people will go to protect their reputations.
During the discussion, Dani asked whether the actresses agreed with how their characters approached uncovering the truth.
Madan defended Zuri’s response, explaining that her character is more familiar with deepfake technology and better equipped to recognize the warning signs.
Shields, meanwhile, suggested that Nia’s approach reflects someone who is less familiar with the technology but deeply concerned about protecting everything she’s built.
“At the end of the day, it’s about protecting my brand. It’s about protecting my legacy. It’s about maintaining control.”
She added that Nia’s determination to preserve her reputation ultimately drives her decisions, even when those choices create additional complications.
Carl Foreman Jr. Jokes About Joining The Power & Influence Cast
While the series explores serious questions about ambition, deception and professional relationships, the conversation also included some lighthearted moments.
As the actresses discussed the show’s unpredictable storylines and complicated romantic entanglements, Carl Foreman Jr. jokingly pitched himself as a potential addition to the cast like the actor who plays Ray on the series.
“I’m an actor also, so if you’re in the market for any more chaotic light skins. I got my blazer on. I could work at the agency,” he said with a laugh.
The Actresses Explain The Challenges Of Telling A Story In Just 90 Seconds
With each installment of Power & Influence lasting approximately a minute and a half, the cast faces the unusual challenge of delivering emotional depth and dramatic twists in an extremely limited amount of time.
Shields credited the production’s collaborative atmosphere with helping the actors make every moment count.
“We couldn’t have done it without everyone just really being focused and raising the stakes because it is such a little short time frame that we have to pack in all of this emotion.”
Both actresses agreed that the creative team worked hard to keep all 90 seconds jampacked with attention-grabbing drama.
And despite the series’ already complicated storylines, the stars suggested that viewers haven’t seen anything yet.
Asked what audiences could expect from upcoming episodes, both stars offered a tantalizing tease.
“Look forward to a season two,” said Shields with a laugh. “Just be prepared to be completely blindsided,” she added.
