Power Alum Naturi Naughton-Lewis Tees Up Her New Thriller The Nowhere Man And Co-Star Bonko Khoza's 'Idris Elba Vibes'

Same Naturi Naughton-Lewis, different kind of power.

Naughton-Lewis, who played drug queenpin Tasha St. Patrick on all six seasons of Starz's "Power," is back at the network with the action-thriller "The Nowhere Man." This time, though, she's not only the star: She also executive-produces the series, which follows a former Special Forces Mercenary named Lukas (played by South African actor Bono Khoza).

Lukas suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and now collects trash on the streets of Johannesburg, wanting more than anything to be left alone. But in the six-part series' first episode, which debuted Friday on the Starz app and all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms, Lukas is witness to a home invasion and isp pulled back into the world of danger of violence he'd thought he escaped.

Naughton-Lewis plays Ruby, the kind-hearted and eminently practical director of the shelter where Lukas lives. As "The Nowhere Man" heads into Episode 2 this Friday (new episodes roll out weekly), I was eager to talk with her about her Starz homecoming and all things "Power"-related. (If you were part of the small but loyal "Queens" audience, don't worry: I snuck in a few "Da Thrill" mentions, too.) Read on to see what she has to say.

After Naturi Naughton-Lewis nabbed the role of Ruby, "in the process of shooting, I had a lot of great ideas," she recalls, adding that the show's South Africa-based production company, Motion Story, were open to a collaborative relationship. "Obviously, my years on 'Power,' I learned so much about what works for television," she adds. "They were so open."

Naughton-Lewis and her husband, Two Lewis, have a production company called Take Two Entertainment, which also came on board. "The biggest thing was like, how do we bring this to the U.S.?" she recalls. "So I just immediately, as an EP, started to think about the great relationships that I have, one being with Starz, and how much I know that they get action, they get drama, they get a little bit of messiness and craziness, obviously from all our 'Power' years." When she brought the series to the network's attention, "they loved the show immediately," she says.

On a related note: Naughton-Lewis' spouse wasn't the only family member who became involved in the production. "My daughter, Zuri, is in Episode 2," she reports. "She makes her TV debut as [a] background [actor]."

"I didn't know Bonko before doing this," Naturi Naughton-Lewis says. "I discovered he's huge over there in South Africa." She credits her co-star's "level of focus and intentionality" and calm demeanor with bringing a roundedness to the character. Also: "He's South African for real, and he actually is delivering the authenticity of what a South African, Black actor would do."

She laughs. "The first couple of days, I was like, 'You know, you're kind of giving me Idris Elba vibes,'" she says. "So I just want you to be ready. The girls are going to be on you. You're very handsome.' So when Starz and the 'Power' audience finds out who Bonko Khoza is, they might be like, 'Oh, that's my new boo!'"

Though Ruby and Naturi Naughton-Lewis' 'Power' universe character, Tasha, are very different on the outside, the actress says the two aren't that different. "The biggest commonalities, I would say, between Ruby and Tasha is their fearlessness," she says. "They're both very, very gung-ho about the people that they love. They will go to great lengths to protect their family, close friends, or just people they love."

Both women are "relentless," she adds. "Ruby's not giving up easily. She's not afraid of much. And even though they're both 5-foot-nothing, like I am, they have this very big presence."

The difference, though, is that "Ruby is super grounded in a different way," she says. "Tasha was living a very elevated, privileged, drug-dealer's-wife type life where she was used to the glitz and the glam, slaying every outfit, hair is laid and all that. Ruby is very stripped-down." The character comes to South Africa as a missionary who's looking to start over when her marriage doesn't work out. "Ruby is more grounded, but also a lot more bare," Naughton-Lewis continues. "She's not the version that many fans are used to seeing me as. But I do think people will still enjoy how heartfelt she is, how passionate she is, and how fearless she is."

She adds: "She's the type of person you're going to want on your side."

"Power" diva Tasha, "The Nowhere Man" altruist Ruby or rapper Jill "Da Thrill" from the short-lived ABC series "Queens": I ask Naturi Naughton-Lewis to choose which of those three former characters she'd go with in a bunch of different situations. 

Toughest? "Tasha." Wisest? "Ruby." Who'd you want backing you in a fight? "It's a tie between Jill 'Da Thrill' and Tasha." Hottest-headed? "Jill 'Da Thrill.' Super hotheaded and very emotional." Whose fashion sense did she connect with the most? "Oh my gosh, Tasha! Hands down."

Naturi Naughton-Lewis says she's planning to tune in when the 'Power' prequel 'Origins' eventually premieres. "First off, I want to know who's going to be young Tasha," she says, laughing. "I just want to be like, 'Y'all better cast somebody cute and strong and badass. I'm so curious! I have this idea of what I created when I was playing her, what young Tasha was like when she met Ghost, but I really am interested in seeing 'Origins.'"

Consider her interest mostly fandom, partly research. "I watch, honestly, all the 'Power' spinoffs," she says. "I don't know if it's just because I was attached, but I really do feel like I'm a fan, too... and Tasha's still living, so I always try to follow what's going on. Because what if these stories converge one day? You just never know!"