Whether on Broadway, the West End or lighting up our screens, Patina Miller puts everything she has into bringing her exciting characters to life. But as the last season Book of Power III: Raising Kanan Now upon us, Miller will call time on the critically acclaimed portrayal of Raquel Thomas. To learn more about the motivations for the role of “Raq” M&F HERS sat down with the star and soon learned that fitness, and especially marathon runimportant for those scene-stealing moments.
“I’ve always been very structured with my work,” Miller explains. “Fitness has been a huge part of my life, for most of my career. And I think the structure of working out and being consistent with a fitness schedule and really wanting to do it is what’s ingrained in me.”
Raq is in many ways the opposite of Patina Miller, often harming others in a reckless attempt to power the show. But character also has innate strength, and this is where they find common ground. “Obviously, I wanted her to be strong,” Miller says of developing Ruck’s aura. “He’s definitely a bodybuilder, but he’s got strength. I think my fitness background helped me tell that story; how I can change and transform my body. How I approach fitting into a role. Fitness is at the heart of a lot of what I do, and so it’s played a huge role in creating this brand.”
How Patina Miller Made the Power Behind the “Raise of Canaan” Ruck Thomas
One of Miller’s first methods of keeping fit was to grab a rope. “It’s one of the only exercises that really targets everything at once” she said Vogue back in 2011explained why the transition was a large part of the preparation for his role as commander of Pylor The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay movies
Jump rope sessions are a great form of cardio and provide an effective full-body workout, depending on the intensity, about 100 calories per ten minutes. It’s also a convenient form of exercise, and that’s important for an actor like Miller, who won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical while playing the title role. Pippin.
How marathon training helps Patina Miller improve performance and endurance
An avid runner, the talented actor took on the ultimate challenge while singing the US National Anthem moments before running the 2023 New York City Marathon. “What a terrible job,” jokes Miller. “It took me 6 miles to calm down!”
Not only has Miller completed this marathon, but he continues to lower his time from his personal best. will complete the same course in 3:52.44 in 2025. “I think what I love about the marathon is that it requires the same set of things that I need in a role, right?” reflects the star. “It’s like, ‘How do I want to do this?’, ‘What’s the end goal?’ And when I’m creating a character, I ask the same questions. It’s about rehearsal. It’s about gathering information about the character to perform on the day. There’s a preparation that goes into the performance and there’s a preparation that goes into the run. So I love traveling.”
There’s no doubt that fitness informs Patina Miller’s performances. “The therapy of showing for two hours non-stop or the stamina required to shoot a scene for 13 or 14 hours … it takes work,” says the star. “But because I have resilience from my training, I can use that resilience in my career.”
The fifth and final season Book of Power III: Raising Kanan premieres Friday, June 12 on STARZwith all previous seasons now available to stream.
To follow Patina Miller on Instagram, Click here.
