The homophobia depicted in the premiere of Fox’s new show “Empire” hits close to home for the show’s director and co-creator Lee Daniels. In an interview with “The Wrap,” Daniels says he drew on his own experiences when creating the scenes that deal with tension between Terrence Howard’s Lucious Lyon and his openly gay son, Jamal.
While Lucious adamantly rejects the idea of having a gay son, Daniels says he didn’t create that sentiment so that Lucious would be viewed as a bad guy. Instead, he hopes the character allows those who may hold the same views about homosexuals to reflect on their beliefs. Taraji P. Henson — who plays Lucious’ ex-wife, Cookie — says “Empire’s” depiction of homophobia will “save a lot of young lives.” She adds that the only way to change minds is to show the “harshness of reality.”
(source-TheWrap.com)
