The writer-director explains that he struggled with the transition from independent filmmaking to being inundated with studio notes.
It was the first time that I was taking notes from anybody.
You have to understand, whenEmpirewas around, there weren’t any Black writers in any rooms.
Lee Daniels.Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty
There weren’t any Black directors on television, Daniels said.
There wasn’tBlack Panther, there wasn’tInsecure, there wasn’t any of that.
So we were learning as we were growing.
Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard on ‘Empire’.Chuck Hodes/FOX
I think that I had a great experience with them and they really understood that things had to change.
Overall, Daniels concluded, It was challenging for me.
It was a nightmare in the beginning, but then it was great.
The filmmakers conversation with Cohen comes weeks after Daniels toldThe Film Stagethat his experience withEmpirewas horrible.
He said at the time, “But guess what?
F—ing that money, money,money!
I was able to put my kids through college and s—.”
Empireconcluded in 2019, in the wake of starJussie Smollettstaging a hate crimeand filing a false police report.
Gray, Grace Byers, andGabourey Sidibe.
