Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O'Grady star in Fox's STAR. The Lee Daniels drama is greenlight for eight episodes and it features Queen Latifah and Lenny Kravitz.
Fox greenlights a new Lee Daniels drama called Star. It features the newcomers Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O'Grady as three young women who want to become singers no matter the price.
Lee Daniels and co-producer Tom Donaghy wrote this drama about a tale of the music business and how it's not all easy for the gifted.
Three newcomers who auditioned for the roles.
Star played by Demorest is a street smart woman who was brought up through the foster care system and decides to take control of her destiny. Star gets in touch with her sister Simone (played by O'Grady) and her best friend from social media Alexandra (played by Destiny) and they take a roadtrip to Atlanta to become superstars.
It also features rapper/singer/actress Queen Latifah as Carlotta Brown, the owner of an Atlanta beauty salon who becomes a surrogate mother to the three young women. She's highly religious and doesn't approve of their musical ambitions.
The series is a backdoor pilot from the hit musical drama Empire.
The series will air during the Empire break and if its a success, we'll see more of Star.
The official premiere will be on January 4th. Are you looking to be the next STAR?
The memorable scene where Andre Lyon was close to ending his life. Trai Byers is threatening to leave hit drama Empire.
Empire already is a go for season three on Fox. But the rumor mill has been buzzing about a key actor planning on bouncing from the hit hip-hop drama. Trai Byers who plays Andre Lyon may leave the show after the season finishes.
Andre Lyon is the oldest son and is just as ruthless as his father Lucious Lyon. He is married to Rhonda and their expecting a child in show. He is bipolar and struggling to find a way to deal with the business and the cutthroat tactics of his father.
Empire Cast:
Terrance Howard: Lucious Lyon
Taraj P Henson: Cookie Lyon
Jussie Smollett: Jamal Lyon
Trai Byers: Andre Lyon
Bryshere Y. Gray: Hakeem Lyon
Grace Gealey: Anika Calhoun
Kaitlin Doubleday: Rhonda Lyon
Gabourey Sidbie: Becky Williams
TaRhonda Jones: Porsha Taylor
Serayah McNeill: Tiana Brown
He felt that Lee Daniels and Danny Strong have ignored him as a main character. They focused on the breakout stars Terrance Howard, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Y. Gray and Taraj P. Henson.
Page Six of the tabloid The New York Post said that the actor was frustrated that he's not getting more screen time and felt that the show isn't worth his time. He's a thespian not a gangsta, says the sources.
Byers with girlfriend, co-star Grace Gealey.
The report says that "Trai threw a temper tantrum during filming in the past weeks saying, 'I don't get do enough, I might leave'. But producers called his bluff and said, 'Fine, if you're not happy, we don't need you.'"
Sources also added, "He thinks he is a brilliant guy who deserves a better role, but he's hardly one of the most popular or dynamic actors on the show. He also fired out the cannon his reps for not getting him big movie roles."
But Byers shot down the rumors quickly. The reasons unknown.
Of course, I know! Daniels and Strong told him about Mo'Nique. The comedian won an Academy Award for supporting actress in the blockbuster drama Precious. She was on top of the world until she found out that her services weren't needed.
She was blackball'd out of Hollywood. Mo'Nique blames Lee Daniels for ruining her career. She is currently feuding with the producer. Gabourey Sidibe, also stars in Empire.
I see the cracks at the bottom on the series. Ratings have taken a downturn. I mean at debut premiere it took in 18 million viewers. Throughout season one, it was clocking 9 to 15 million viewers (including DVR).
Byers said that he's happy to be on the show and he's not leaving. But a cryptic message from Taraj kind of says that he's could be written out of the show if he acts a fool. So if Byers want to get fired out the cannon, would it hurt the show?
Empire is going to hit ABC and CBS where it hurts, Once Empire comes back on, ABC sitcoms Modern Family and Black-ish will take a slight drop in the ratings.
Empire is a success.
The show has dominated in ratings since its premiere in January 2015. The show was granted a second season after the third episode by the Fox executives. Fox has already green lights The Simpsons, Gotham, Bob's Burgers and Empire. Bones was green lighted for a final season.
New Girl, Lucifer, Rosewood, Brooklyn Nine-9, Family Guy, The Last Man on Earth, Sleepy Hollow, Last Chance, The Grinder, Grandfathered, Barrett Cooper's Guide.... are on the bubble. Some may survive the cut.
I predict the other survivors would be Family Guy, Rosewood, Brooklyn Nine-9, The Grinder, Last Man on Earth and Lucifer.
I think New Girl will be cut. But it could survive if the show would crossover to MTV or TBS in the coming.
The conservative Craiglist splashed the title above and it seems like the usual dog whistle for White extremists. The title is given is a moniker to the scheduled protested held by activist in the wake of the police shooting of Chicago teen Laquan McDonald.
The #BlackLivesMatter movement have proposed to shutdown Black Friday with sit in protests against police brutality.
The indictment of Jason Van Dyke marks a first in the history of Chicago P.D. He will be the first on duty officer indicted in the murder of a civilian.
What has the activists pissed is the fact that the city of Chicago held on to the video release for over a year. They fought hard to not release the video. A judge ordered the immediate release of the disturbing video.
Van Dyke shot Laquan over 16 times. His attorney said that he was using self defense.
The protesters will do peaceful sit-ins in major city malls and shopping centers.
The picture that was splashed above gives the notion that #BlackLivesMatter activists are rioters and looters.
The fight continues.
The official BlackLivesMatter website has taken notice to the conservative misinformation. The website published a list of accusations spewed by the right. The site says that conservatives are deliberately trying to undermine the movement for short term political gains. The site has concluded that conservatives are justifying the unfair treatment of Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, LGBT, and immigrants.
Reuniting with Terrence Howard and Taraji P Henson, Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges will appear on the Fox hit series Empire.
The Disturbing Tha Peace entertainer is about to part ways with his longtime label Def Jam after they failed in promoting Ludaversal. In the meantime, Luda's got to pay for them bills. He's a married man. A father of two with one on the way. Got to make the money somewhere!
Ludacris will return to acting to at least build his career. He's closing in on the 4-O and he's got to stay relevant once he puts the down the mic.
Right now, he'll be a guest star on the Lee Daniels hip-hop drama.
Luda guest stars on Empire.
Howard plays ruthless business mogul Lucious Lyon. He's dealing with his three sons who struggle for a piece of Empire Records and ex-wife Cookie (played Henson) who wants the stakes in her favor.
Howard finished the now canceled Fox series Wayward Pines.
Ludaris, Terrence Howard and Taraji Henson were featured in Hustle & Flow, a critically acclaim movie that featured the Oscar award winning song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp".
Actress Taraji P Henson had to own up to the Glendale Police after she accused them of rousing her son.
Taraji P Henson is on fire. Her breakout role as Cookie Lyon in the hit series Empire has made her a household name.
Henson's rise to fame came from the her feature role in Hustle & Flow, with fellow actor Terrance Howard. They both are the stars of the Lee Daniels' musical drama.
Henson is also a mother. Her son is always a top priority. Henson praises her son regardless.
But something came into the news this past week and it's sparked some major controversy.
Henson claimed that her 20 year old son (Marcel Johnson) had been racially profiled by police and that his car had been illegally searched during a traffic stop on October 18, 2014 in Glendale, California.
In the beginning, Henson felt the law was harassing her son for being Black. Her son dropped out of the University of Southern California to attend Howard in her hometown of Washington, DC.
Henson told the junk food media, that who could you trust in this world, if a young Black man minding his business is harassed by the police.
Well the folks over at the Los Angeles Times wanted to obtain proof of this incident. They got some proof and then some.
A video obtained by the Times showed that Johnson had driven through a lighted crosswalk while a pedestrian was crossing, that he had given verbal consent to search his vehicle, that he had admitted to smoking marijuana two hours before going behind the wheel, and that hash oil, marijuana, and a knife were found inside his car.
Henson immediately suspended her social media profiles. She went on to apologize for overreacting and for making unsubstantiated claims, Henson said in an Instagram message that, "A mother's job is not easy and neither is a police officer's. I would like to publicly apologize to the officer and the Glendale Police Department."
Henson's apology was heartfelt. But unfortunately to the racist right, they will continue to denounce the BlackLivesMatter movement. They will now attack her for sparking "racial outrage" over nothing.
The racist right will place her in the box where they often hold President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Rev. Perm and Cut His Nut Off Jackson in.
Jussie Smollett is making the news clear about his personal life.
The Fox hit drama Empire keeps pulling in.
Everybody love some Cookie. The character is played by Taraj P. Henson. Her and her estrange husband Lucious Lyon are co owners of Empire Entertainment. Cookie spent time in the iron college and she came out swinging. She became the breakout character of the show. Cookie is trying to get back with Lucious and bring the family back together. She is also a motivator. She is the woman who gets what she wants whenever she wants.
Lucious is dealing with the ALS disease that may end his life. He's trying to figure out who's capable of running his business in the likelihood he passes. He has three sons, Andre, Jamal and Hakeem. Lucious is caught between loving his fiance Anika and his ex-wife Cookie. He's also competing with his former mentor in this battle for success. Lucious is played by Terrance Howard.
Andre is the oldest son. He's ruthless, cunning and just about as cutthroat as his father. But deep within Andre is the fact he is bipolar. Lucious doesn't approve of his marriage to a White woman. Andre struggles with resentment towards his talented brothers. He felt that during his younger days, he lost out the childhood trying to help Jamal and Hakeem through their days. Trai Byers plays Andre.
Hakeem is the youngest. He's a rapper and the hard head of the family. He's spoiled. He's apparently the favorite son of Lucious. He is a player of sorts. He's trying to bound with his mother Cookie. While being the famed-obsessed son, Hakeem is the most controversial of the group. He went off on paparazzi and called out President Barack Obama. He is played by Bryshere Gray.
Fox's breakout series Empire broke records. This is the highest watched series. Black viewers make up 80% of the viewing audience.
The middle child is Jamal. Jamal was in the beginning a closeted gay singer. But in some episodes he came out and made Lucious upset. Jamal is the father of a daughter and is struggling to find himself in a world where gay Black singers are often ridiculed. Cookie loves Jamal and she is proud he came out despite Lucious threatening to end ties with him. The irony of this is that art intimidates life.
Jamal is played by Jussie Smollett, a famed actor and singer. He and his siblings are professional actors.
Today, the news broke that Jussie acknowledged his sexuality.
Smollett acknowledged that he's gay. And he's proud of that. It kind of forced out when Malik Yoba, told the junk food media that Jussie is "openly gay" and his passionate about LGBT rights.
"Empire" star Jussie Smollett opened up about his sexuality for the first time in an intimate interview with Ellen DeGeneres.
Interestingly, the 31-year-old actor opted to arrange a backstage chat with DeGeneres after his official appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which airs March 9, to speak about the subject. However, he stopped short of using the terms "gay" and "bisexual" in the clip.
"It was really important to me to make sure that it got across that there is no closet," he said. "There’s never been a closet that I’ve been in. I don’t own a closet, I got a dresser, but I don’t have a closet, but I have a home and that is my responsibility to protect that home."
He then quipped, "My mama knows, my mama likes me a lot and yes, I take her to 'The Sound of Music' sing-along every single year."
"Empire" has already received heaps of praise for its gay-inclusive plot. On the smash Fox series, Smollett plays Jamal Lyon, an openly gay singer-songwriter who is the ex-boyfriend of Michael Sanchez (Rafael de La Fuente).
In his "Ellen" appearance, Smollett revealed that he landed his "Empire" audition after sending co-creator Lee Daniels a private message on Instagram. He was called back for seven auditions before he got the role.
Smollett also signed a deal with Sony Urban this year.
Mo'Nique got banned from Hollywood. Lee Daniels confirms that the Oscar award winning actress/comedian got shafted for being too much of a diva.
Empire is a big hit.
The Lee Daniels drama featuring Terrance Howard and Taraj P Henson is growing in viewership. For the latest episode, it drew 15.4 million viewers. This is one of the biggest success for the Fox network.
Lee Daniels also was the producer for Precious, a movie that featured Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, and Mariah Carey. This film marked the acting debut of Sidibe.
Sidibe is a featured guest on Empire.
Mariah Carey who is known by most to be a diva is being blackballed from movies. Joining her is the comedian and Oscar award winning actress Mo'Nique.
Mo'Nique who is one of the "Queens of Comedy" starred in the UPN sitcom The Parkers and her late night show on BET.
Lee Daniels, the producer of The Butler, Precious and television series Empire.
Mo'Nique is a diva. She doesn't apologize for being self confident and determined. But in Hollywood, if you're too much of a diva, you're going to be shut out of the industry. And it seems to follow a deep trend of Black entertainers being doomed after success.
The entertainer talked to Inside Edition to tell her fans that she's doing "fine". She was telling the reporter that Lee Daniels told her that movie executives are "done" with her.
Lee Daniels put it in simple terms: Mo'Nique was too much of a headache. She would make demands and throw around the Black. She couldn't figure the politics of Hollywood. She got shut down.
Although Lee Daniels praised her for her talents, he said that she self-inflicted herself. It's not his fault. He didn't throw her under the bus.
Empire is the money maker for the time being.
Mo'Nique fired back. “It wasn’t that I was blackballed like Mr. Daniels said… the phone was ringing and the scripts were coming but the offers that were associated with them made me say ‘I can’t accept that,’” she explained, adding that taking such offers would have sent a negative message to other African-American women.
“If we continue to accept these low offers, how do we make a change?” she asked.
It seems like this is a feud. Mo'Nique believes Daniels told executives that she's trouble.
And with that said, here's the video of Mo'Nique responding to the controversy
Empire is on Fox and it's a go! They already got this green light for a second season. It will finish the season with 10 episodes.
Lee Daniels' critically acclaimed drama Empire got worked over by the agitator of racial ignorance.
The Craigslist of right wing agitation posted tonight about the fate of Lee Daniels' hip-hop drama Empire getting the greenlight on Fox. The hip-hop drama featuring Oscar nominated actor Terrence Howard and Taraj P. Henson managed to surprise the executives. The series has managed to survive two and its going to finish the season with eight episodes with second season pending.
Fox struggled like ABC and NBC when it comes to finding the show. They often put on series that are critically acclaimed but struggle when it put against NCIS, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, and Two Broke Girls.
TVbythenumbers can determine where the cancellation bear may ruin a picnic.
Now here's what's on the Entertainment Weekly comment section. As usual the trolls of conservative Wackadoodle World have inserted the usual word vomit of White rights, Obama this, and liberal that!
Get a vomit bag cause it's going to be another dose of ignorance in the CAPITALS.
By the way, not all conservatives act like this. But a majority of them do! And it's reflective of the Republican Party and its allies. Say for example Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) and his admission to attending a meeting sponsored by former Klan leader David Duke.
The Fox Network green lights hip-hop drama series called EMPIRE and it features Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henson. With music production from Timbaland, the network executives assure this may be a success.
The series is executive produced by Lee Daniels. Daniels is the producer for the critically acclaimed movies The Butler and Precious.
Howard and Henson both were in the Oscar nominated hip-hop movie Hustle & Flow.
Howard plays Lucious Lyon a former drug dealer turned music mogul. He is the founder of Empire Entertainment. He is a struggling father with three sons who are struggling with their own problems. As Lucious tries to move his business into the mainstream, his ex-wife Cookie (played by Henson) comes into the picture and shakes things up. Trai Byers plays the eldest son, Andre, a ruthless hustler who wants to follow his father in building a label. Jussie Smollett of the famed Smollett family plays Jamal, Lucious the middle child is a singer who hides his homosexuality from the public. Bryshere Y. Gray plays Hakeem the youngest son. Hakeem is the player and an up and coming rapper. He is regarded as the favorite son.
Fox green lights Empire. It's a critically acclaimed hip-hop drama.
Empire has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a rating of 93%, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though heavy on melodrama, Empire elevates the nighttime soap with its top-notch cast, musical entertainment, and engrossing plots."
On Metacritic the show has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
This was a midseason replacement after the network canceled critically acclaimed dramas Red Band Society and Gracepoint.
The show got Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe in a recurring role also.
