Michael Rainey Jr.

Michael Andile Rainey Jr., commonly known as Michael Rainey Jr., was born on September 22, 2000 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. He is the son of Michael Rainey Sr. and Shauna Small, and through his mother he inherits Jamaican ancestry. When he was just one year old, his family relocated to Staten Island, New York, where his father later settled in New York City. Rainey Jr. was homeschooled by his mother, an educational choice that allowed him to explore his creative interests from a young age. Growing up in a multicultural environment, he developed a strong sense of community responsibility, later supporting the Indiana‑based nonprofit Find and Feed, which provides meals and resources to the homeless. His early exposure to diverse cultures and his family's artistic background nurtured a passion for performance that would eventually dictate his career path.\nIn 2010, at the tender age of ten, Rainey Jr. made his on‑screen debut in the short film Un Altro Mundo, launching a series of increasingly prominent roles. He gained wider recognition portraying Michael Burset in Orange Is the New Black and Jalen in Barbershop: The Next Cut, showcasing his versatility across drama and comedy. His breakthrough came with the role of Tariq St. Patrick in the Starz series Power, a character he later reprised as the lead in the spin‑off Power Book II: Ghost. In March 2022, alongside fellow Power alum Gianni Paolo, he co‑founded Twenty Two Entertainment, a venture funded by Artists For Artists, which produced the podcast The Crew Has It. Rainey Jr. continues to expand his artistic horizons while maintaining a low‑key personal life; in 2022 he was reported to be in a relationship with Haile Rose. His trajectory from a homeschooled youth to a prominent actor and entrepreneur underscores his dedication to both craft and community.