Why Lee Daniels Describes Empire as “Absolutely the Worst Experience”

Why Lee Daniels Describes Empire as "Absolutely the Worst Experience"

As a passionate fan of Lee Daniels’ groundbreaking work, I must say his journey through Hollywood is nothing short of inspiring. From the raw emotion of “Precious” to the cultural phenomenon that was “Empire”, his story is one of resilience and creativity.


Lee Daniels is not holding anything back. 

The director of ‘Precious’ has recently opened up about his tenure as creator, writer, and producer of FOX’s ‘Empire’. He admitted that his experience on the show was quite unpleasant, and he took on the role out of curiosity to see what it was like to be accountable to executives.

In an interview with Film Stage on September 4th, he expressed curiosity about that particular experience, mentioning that all his previous projects were independent. He shared how his friends receive feedback and he often wondered what that process feels like.

According to Daniels, he took on the project “Empire” merely to gain insight into such an experience, but he fervently hopes never to find himself in similar work conditions ever again.

Absolutely the worst experience,” he said of his time on the show. “Horrible!”

On the other hand, despite Empire wrapping up its run on FOX between 2015 and 2020, it did offer a silver lining: “Wealth, wealth, abundance.”

“I was able to put my kids through college and s–t,” he added. “So that in itself was worth it.”

TopMob News has reached out to FOX for comment, but has not heard back.

Why Lee Daniels Describes Empire as "Absolutely the Worst Experience"

Despite the fact that “Empire,” a series featuring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, has left an indelible mark on subsequent TV shows and films, the director of “Paper Boy” confesses that he failed to grasp its potential impact when it first emerged.

In my own words, I admit that when I was creating “Empire,” I wasn’t fully grasping the impact of what we were doing at the time. I was so engrossed in details like Cookie’s hat and the music aspect that I failed to comprehend the magnitude of cultural change I was orchestrating. It was only later, when I looked back, that I realized the profound shift my show had made, single-handedly, in our culture.

He stated, “If not for what I did, we wouldn’t have had a ‘Black Panther’, a ‘Insecure’, or a ‘Black-ish’. All of that wouldn’t exist. Those shows came to be due to my actions.”

Why Lee Daniels Describes Empire as "Absolutely the Worst Experience"

Despite believing he has left a significant mark in his past work, when it comes to upcoming ventures such as his new Netflix project titled “The Deliverance“, he remains dedicated to projects that give him full control and decision-making power.

He clarified that he has the final say in editing at Netflix, as otherwise, he wouldn’t be keen on working on the movie.

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but confess that even the esteemed Oscar nominee encountered some friction with the streaming giant on occasion. It seems Netflix pressed for a heightened sense of tension within the chilling horror production, and surprisingly, the director did ultimately concede to their request.

In simpler terms, he admitted to compromising slightly by catering somewhat to audience expectations since “Lee Daniels’ film” is also a Netflix production. He explained this compromise was necessary because we’re no longer dealing with traditional cinema but with the digital world where viewers may lose interest quickly if they aren’t engaged within the first few minutes.

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2024-09-06 02:53