It will be a few months before we’re reunited with Cookie and Lucious
Lyon again, but anytime “Empire” stars Taraji P. Henson, and Terrence
Howard get together,
we’re in for a good time. The duo recently appeared
on the cover of Emmy magazine
and the spread from their photo shoot is flawless. Inside of the issue,
they discuss the breakout success of the FOX series and their beloved
characters, who quickly became household names. Check out some
highlights from their interview below.On why “Empire” is such a big hit
Henson: “We don’t gloss anything up. We do and say things that a lot of people know are really happening in real life.”
Howard:
“We’ve abandoned the idea of P.C., political correctness, for just
being honest about what’s really taking place in the world… with some
entertainment involved in it.”
On the series bringing families together
Henson: “I get a lot of tweets from people saying, ‘Finally, we have family night in our house because everyone’s watching.’”
On the inspiration behind Cookie Lyon
Henson:
“She’s based on many women I know. She’s based on my father… he was just
one of those guys who just didn’t have a buffer, and people respected
him for that.”
On finding inspiration for Lucious Lyon in Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar
Howard:
“When they were in the middle of accomplishing their goals, they were
tyrants… The last name is Lyon for a reason. You have to maintain that
majestic composure and comportment, and be king of the jungle.”
On the overwhelming success of “Empire”
Howard:
“I didn’t know that the American public was really ready to tackle some
of these issues that we’re tackling, especially the African-American
population. With the homophobia that runs through there, I didn’t think a
lot of the scenes that we’ve had would be welcome. I thought 20 minutes
in[to the first episode], by the time they had the first [same-sex]
kiss, it would be a wrap. Everybody would change the channel.”
On their history and chemistry:
Howard:
“I love Taraji, but she’s a 10-foot-tall man inside. … She needs [to
have] the last word, the last look, and I don’t know how to give up any
ground.”
“I told her, ‘You will never steal a frame from me. And
don’t you let me take a frame from you.’ That’s our thing with each
other. It’s [like] the Thrilla in Manila. We’ll keep battling until
somebody dies.”
On the popularity of Cookie Lyon and Taraji’s Dad prophesying her success before his death:
Henson:
“He was like, ‘Baby, that ain’t nothin’. You are going to be a
sensation. He was looking off into the distance, and I think he saw what
was coming.”
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