Parents of Michael Rainey Jr.Born in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 22, 2000, Michael Rainey Jr. is a young and gifted actor from the United States. Rainey Jr. was raised in New York as a baby because his father is from there. Rainey Jr. contributes to “Find and Feed,” an Indiana-based nonprofit that aids needy people.
From his early years, Michael has been a committed basketball player. When he was nine years old, roaming around New York City with his mother, he ran across a talent scout. His work in TV commercials resulted from this encounter.
Who are Michael Rainey Jr.’s Parents?
Michael Rainey Sr. and Shauna Small have been recognized as Michael Rainey Jr.’s parents. It is unknown if the pair is still together, and there is no information accessible to the public on when or if they were legally married.
Whatever their marital status, we do know that Shauna did not adopt her husband’s surname, and Michael Jr. seems to be their sole kid based on the lack of information about siblings.
Rainey’s Father is a Native of New York:
The father of Michael Rainey Jr. is originally from New York. His age and occupation are among his few details since he seems to lead a secluded life away from the spotlight. His well-known son hardly ever mentions him, which has led to rumors that their connection is strained.
When discussing his part as Tariq in an interview with Vibe, Rainey Jr. hinted at the tense connection between the two. He linked his connection with his father to that of the role he portrays and his onscreen father, James St. Patrick, also known as Ghost.
Tariq was upset with his father for dumping the family to live with a different lady. Later, he would treat him disrespectfully and collaborate with his sworn adversaries. Tariq ends up killing his father. Though Michael Jr. claims he can identify with Tariq’s acts and conduct since they are something he experiences in real life, things do not seem terrible between him and his father.
His Mother is a Health Coach:
Shauna Small, the mother of Michael Rainey Jr., left Jamaica at seventeen and emigrated to the US. It is unknown who her family is and when she was born. Meanwhile, it is known that she received her education in the United States, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/English from the College of Staten Island.
Shauna returned to school in 2015 and enrolled at Concordia University-Portland, where she finished her coursework to get a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. Since then, Michael’s mother has made a career for herself as a health coach.
In 2004, she founded Our Learning House, Inc., a business that offers in-person and online training to childcare providers. Shauna Smalls manages her son’s company through Higher Level Talents, Inc. and owns the organic cosmetics line Relax Be Healthy. Shauna and her kid have traveled to the island nation since she still has relatives there.
His professional achievement led to his appointment as a Youth Ambassador by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett. The actor pledged to utilize his position to support the nation and inspire young people to pursue their goals and have faith in themselves. Additionally, he met the president of the country.
Michael Rainey Jr. Career:
Rainey Jr. started his career in entertainment as a young actor, appearing in music videos, TV and print advertising, and the beloved American children’s television series “Sesame Street.”
He produced print and television ads for many of the biggest names in the business, such as Target, AT&T, and Toys R Us.
The year 2009 marked his major break when, at the age of nine, he was cast in the lead role of a movie called “Un altro mondo.” Silvio Muccino, an Italian actor, director, screenwriter, and novelist Carla Vangelista, had seen him in the music video for “Regalo Pui Grande,” which is how they found him.
To play Charlie alongside Silvio Muccino in this 2010 film, he had to spend some time in Italy. He ultimately picked up fluent Italian to prepare for his part in the movie. After returning to the United States, he was cast as Woody Watson alongside American rapper and actor Common in the Sheldon Candis-directed murder drama “Learning Uncle Vincent.”
On January 23, 2012, the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, receiving a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize. Later, he starred in the critically and commercially successful American historical drama film “The Butler,” directed by Lee Daniels and starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fond, and John Cusack.
Michael played Cecil, the film’s main character and the youngest portrayal of Cecil in the picture, on August 16, 2013.
He portrayed Michael Burset in the first three seasons of the American comedy-drama web series “Orange Is the New Black,” which aired from 2013 to 2015.
In 2014, Alton Glass directed the TV1 movie “Second Chance Christmas,” in which he starred. On the American crime drama television series Power on the Starz network, he has been playing Tariq St. Patrick since 2014.
Before securing a permanent part in seasons three and four, he made four appearances in the first two seasons, receiving great appreciation. In April 2016, he co-starred as Jalen Palmer in the highly regarded and commercially successful comedy film “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” which included Ice Cube, Eve, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, and Cedric the Entertainer among its cast members. In the upcoming film “Amateur,” he will portray Terron Forte. As of right now, his projected total assets are $1.2 million.
Filmography:
- 2020–2021: Tariq St. Patrick as Ghost in Power Book II
- Power as Tariq St. Patrick, 2014–2020
- 2018: 211 in the role of Kenny
- 2018: Terron Forte, an amateur
- 2016: Jalen in Barbershop: The Next Cut
- Orange Is the New Black (2013)–2015: Michael Burset
- 2014: Lawrence’s Second Chance Christmas
- 2013: Cecil Gaines in Lee Daniels’ The Butler
- 2012: Woody, played by LUV
- 2019: BET YoungStars Award
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