Empire (2015 TV series)
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''Empire'' is an American musical drama television series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong for
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
that ran from January 7, 2015 to April 21, 2020. It is a joint production by
Imagine Television Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
and
20th Century Fox Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Compa ...
and syndicated by
20th Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Compa ...
. Although it is filmed in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, the show is set in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. The series centers on the fictional hip hop music and
entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
company Empire Entertainment, and the drama among the members of the founders' family as they fight for control of it. It stars Terrence Howard,
Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
,
Bryshere Y. Gray Bryshere Yazuan Gray (born November 28, 1993), also known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest or simply Yazz, is an American actor and rapper, best known for his role as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series ''Empire'' ...
, Jussie Smollett and
Trai Byers Trai Byers (born July 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Andre Lyon in the Fox television series ''Empire'' (2015–2020). Early life Trai Byers was born in Kansas City, Kansas. After a year of high school in Kansas Ci ...
as members of the Lyon Family, along with a supporting cast including
Grace Byers Grace Byers (née Gealey; born July 26, 1984) Note: While some sources give her birthplace as the Cayman Island, Gealey says she was born in Butler, Pennsylvania. See interview in LumiereMagazine.com, below. is a Caymanian actress, known for her r ...
,
Kaitlin Doubleday Kaitlin Janette Doubleday (born July 19, 1984) is an American actress. She played a number of supporting film roles in her early career, including in '' Waiting...'' (2005) and ''Accepted'' (2006). From 2015 to 2016, she starred as Rhonda Lyon in ...
, Gabourey Sidibe, Ta'Rhonda Jones, Serayah,
Malik Yoba A​​bdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film '' Cool Runnings''. ...
and Vivica A. Fox. The series premiered on January 7, 2015 to nearly 10 million viewers while the first-season finale was watched by 17 million viewers. Its first season received positive reviews from critics, who praised its acting, particularly Henson's, its direction, soundtrack, writing, costumes, editing and the overall tone of the show, with many critics describing it as a "fresh take on a musical." Subsequent seasons also received positive reviews, with its second season being the most well-received. During its run, it was one of the most-watched television shows on Fox. On April 30, 2019, Fox renewed the show for the sixth season and final season, and the first without Smollett, who was confirmed to not be returning after he was charged with filing a false police report in an incident where he allegedly was assaulted by two men he claimed were Trump supporters. The season premiered on September 24, 2019 and the series concluded on April 21, 2020. A
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
of the series, centered around Taraji P. Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, was set to launch in 2020. However, Fox passed on the pilot, and it is being shopped to other networks.


Premise

Lucious Lyon Lucious Lyon (born Dwight Walker) is a fictional character from the Fox drama series ''Empire'', portrayed by Terrence Howard. Lucious is the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series. Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, Lucious is the fo ...
( Terrence Howard) is a hip hop mogul, former drug dealer, and CEO of Empire Entertainment. Informed of his own imminent early death from
ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...
, Lucious is forced to choose, from amongst his progeny, a successor who will control his dynasty after his demise. He begins working to groom one of his three sons to take over the family business – Empire CFO Andre (
Trai Byers Trai Byers (born July 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Andre Lyon in the Fox television series ''Empire'' (2015–2020). Early life Trai Byers was born in Kansas City, Kansas. After a year of high school in Kansas Ci ...
), R&B singer-songwriter
Jamal Jamal ( ar, جمال ''/'') is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "beauty",Jamal
at BehindTheName.com
and a surna ...
( Jussie Smollett), and rapper Hakeem (
Bryshere Y. Gray Bryshere Yazuan Gray (born November 28, 1993), also known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest or simply Yazz, is an American actor and rapper, best known for his role as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series ''Empire'' ...
). In the process, Lucious pits them against each other. Lucious' ex-wife
Cookie Lyon Loretha "Cookie" Lyon (née Holloway) is a fictional character from the American musical drama ''Empire'' on Fox. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series, the queen bee and the wife of former drug d ...
(
Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
) is released from prison after serving a 17-year sentence, and also pulls for control of both the company and of her sons.


Cast and characters

* Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon, né Dwight Walker : A former drug dealer turned hip-hop mogul and the founder and long-time CEO of Empire Entertainment, his life begins to cave in around him after his past sins come back to haunt him when he is diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
. Besides Cookie, Lucious' other lovers were Anika (seasons 1 & 3) and Yana (season 6) *
Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
as Loretha "Cookie" Lyon, née Holloway : Lucious' outspoken wife and mother of his three sons. She serves a 17-year prison sentence for
drug dealing The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs throug ...
and sees herself as the sacrificial lamb for Empire Entertainment, which she built with Lucious, but then took the fall for him while running the very drugs that financed Lucious' early career. Upon her return from prison, she is determined to bring the Lyon family back together and reclaim her share of Empire Entertainment. In the second season, Cookie leaves the Empire group and starts her own record label, Lyon Dynasty. After allowing Empire Entertainment to acquire Lyon Dynasty, she returns to Empire as co-CEO and Head of A&R. *
Bryshere Y. Gray Bryshere Yazuan Gray (born November 28, 1993), also known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest or simply Yazz, is an American actor and rapper, best known for his role as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series ''Empire'' ...
as
Hakeem Lyon Hakeem Lyon is a fictional character from the original FOX musical drama ''Empire'' played by Bryshere Y. Gray. Hakeem, one of the main characters within the series, is the youngest and once-favorite son of hip-hop mogul Lucious (Terrence Howar ...
: Lucious' fame-obsessed youngest son and his favorite child, who is a hip hop star on the rise. Initially combative towards his mother Cookie, Hakeem starts to become friendlier towards her, and has a great relationship with his older brother Jamal. He has had romantic relationships with Tiana, Camilla, Anika, Valentina, Laura and Maya (the latter who becomes his wife in the sixth season). * Jussie Smollett as
Jamal Lyon Jamal Joseph Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama, ''Empire'' on Fox. Portrayed by Jussie Smollett, Jamal is the middle son of hip-hop mogul Lucious (Terrence Howard) and his wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). Jamal, a talen ...
(seasons 1–5) : The middle son of the Lyon family, he is a talented gay singer-songwriter who despises the corporate aspect of the music industry. Jamal is estranged from his father, who considers him the
black sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...
of the family. Jamal is Cookie's favorite and has a strong relationship with his brother Hakeem. Lucious appoints Jamal as his successor at the end of the first season, and later as interim CEO when Lucious is arrested. Jamal later relinquishes control of Empire back to Lucious. After being accidentally shot by Freda Gatz in Season 2, Jamal begins to present symptoms of PTSD and a reliance on
painkillers An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of Pharmaceutical drug, drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or p ...
. His addiction ultimately leads to a visit to
rehab Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
. Smollet's character was removed from the last two episodes of the fifth season after Smollett was indicted on charges of staging an assault against himself. Smollett's character does not return for the sixth and final season but he is mentioned with Jamal and new husband Kai moving to London and adopting a baby boy. Despite not appearing in the sixth season, nor being credited, the option in Smollett's contract for the sixth season was picked up. *
Trai Byers Trai Byers (born July 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Andre Lyon in the Fox television series ''Empire'' (2015–2020). Early life Trai Byers was born in Kansas City, Kansas. After a year of high school in Kansas Ci ...
as Andre Lyon : The eldest son of the Lyon family and CFO of Empire Entertainment. He is
Wharton Wharton may refer to: Academic institutions * Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania * Wharton County Junior College * Paul R. Wharton High School * Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University Places * Wharton, Ch ...
educated, power hungry, and has
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
. He is married to his college sweetheart, Rhonda. He plans to run Empire, but is in a battle for the head chair with his younger brothers. In the second season, Andre initially helps Cookie and Hakeem set up Lyon Dynasty, but returns to Empire. Lucious later promotes Andre to President of Gutter Life Records, a sub-division of Empire Entertainment consisting of mainly urban rappers, such as Freda Gatz. In Season 3, 4 & 5, he loses his wife and becomes involved with Nessa, Charlotte, Pamela and Teri (the latter who becomes his new wife in the season 5 finale). *
Grace Byers Grace Byers (née Gealey; born July 26, 1984) Note: While some sources give her birthplace as the Cayman Island, Gealey says she was born in Butler, Pennsylvania. See interview in LumiereMagazine.com, below. is a Caymanian actress, known for her r ...
as Anika "Boo Boo Kitty" Calhoun (seasons 1–4) : Initially the ambitious head of Empire Entertainment's A&R department, she becomes engaged to Lucious though they will eventually separate. After leaving Empire, Anika has sex with Hakeem and becomes pregnant. Fearful of Rhonda's pregnancy, as Rhonda's unborn child has claim to being the heir of Empire, Anika pushes Rhonda down a set of stairs, leading to the death of Rhonda's unborn child. Cookie and Anika share an extreme dislike for one another, with Cookie referring to Anika by the derisive nickname " Boo Boo Kitty". She dies in the season 4 finale. *
Malik Yoba A​​bdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film '' Cool Runnings''. ...
as Vernon Turner (season 1; dead guest in Season 2) : Lucious's longtime friend and business partner, and chairman of Empire Entertainment. In the season one finale, Vernon is struck and killed by Rhonda, when he attacks Andre, and both end up hiding the body. *
Kaitlin Doubleday Kaitlin Janette Doubleday (born July 19, 1984) is an American actress. She played a number of supporting film roles in her early career, including in '' Waiting...'' (2005) and ''Accepted'' (2006). From 2015 to 2016, she starred as Rhonda Lyon in ...
as Rhonda Lyon (seasons 1–2; recurring in season 3; guest in season 4) : Andre's wife is a "
ride-or-die chick A "ride-or-die chick" is a neologism of biker culture origin referring to a "woman willing to support her partner and his risky lifestyle despite how this might endanger or harm her." The woman may even take an active role as an accomplice and ma ...
" who is extremely fierce and loyal, and sticks by Andre's side as he tries to gain control of Empire. In the first-season finale she finds out that she is pregnant, but Anika pushes her down the stairs in the second season fall finale, and the baby dies in the second-season spring premiere. After her recovery, Rhonda begins to work for Empire's fashion label, "Antony and Cleopatra", initially run by Camilla Marks-Whiteman. After Camilla's suicide, Rhonda is appointed Creative Director of Antony and Cleopatra. In the third-season premiere, she attacks Anika due to finding out Anika had pushed her down the stairs earlier in the season, causing her to lose her unborn son. As a result, she falls off the building she and Anika were fighting on, lands on a car, and dies. She makes numerous appearances to Andre as a ghost during his hallucinations in the third season. * Ta'Rhonda Jones as Porsha Taylor (season 2–6; recurring in season 1) : Cookie's executive assistant. * Gabourey Sidibe as Rebecca "Becky" Williams (season 2–6; recurring in season 1) : Executive assistant to Lucious at Empire Entertainment. After Jamal's promotion to Vice Chairman, Jamal promotes Becky to A&R at Empire and its sub-label, Gutter Life Records. In season 4, she had taken Anika's position as Head of A&R requested by Cookie. * Serayah as Tiana Brown (seasons 2–6; recurring in season 1) : An artist at Empire Entertainment who becomes Hakeem's girlfriend for some time. In season two, she leaves Empire for Lyon Dynasty. She also starts to get jealous of the relationship Hakeem has with Laura. In Season 3, she and Hakeem rekindle their relationship. At the beginning of Season 4 she remains happy being with Hakeem and looks after his daughter Bella whilst Anika is in jail. Halfway through the season she gets manipulated by Eddie Barker and turns down a proposal made by Hakeem. She continues to be manipulated by Eddie and becomes Empire's number one artist. After Hakeem tries to warn her about Eddie she breaks up with him again, but they quickly get back together after Tiana reveals to Hakeem that she's pregnant. In season 5, it's discovered that she was carrying twins and lost one as a result of not being taken seriously by the nurses whilst giving birth. By the end of the season, she ends up with Devon. In Season 6 she changes labels to Bossy Media and furthermore by the end of the season she remains single as of her and Devon breaking due to her cheating on him with Hakeem. Tiana's lovers were Gram, Blake, Carlito, Devon and most significantly, Hakeem Lyon. * Bre-Z as Freda Gathers/"Freda Gatz" (guest in season 6; season 3; recurring in season 2) : A female rapper, who becomes a surrogate daughter to Lucious after the murder of her father, Frank Gathers. Lucious later sets up Freda to become Hakeem's rival. *
Morocco Omari Morocco Omari (born May 7, 1975) is an American film, television, and theater actor, screenwriter, producer, and a director. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his role as Tariq in the Hip-Hop television drama series ''Empire ...
as Tariq Cousins (season 3; recurring in season 2) : An
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
Agent, who is also Lucious' half-brother. * Xzibit as Leslie "Shyne" Johnson (season 3–4; guest in season 2 & 5) : A former rival of
Lucious Lyon Lucious Lyon (born Dwight Walker) is a fictional character from the Fox drama series ''Empire'', portrayed by Terrence Howard. Lucious is the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series. Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, Lucious is the fo ...
that soon becomes a close ally, described as "100 percent wolf and 100 percent gangsta". * Andre Royo as Thurston "Thirsty" Rawlings, (seasons 4–5; seasons 2−3 recurring) : Lucious' lawyer/confidant/right-hand man. * Rumer Willis as Tory Ash, (season 4; season 3 guest) :A singer who fell off as an addict than becomes close friends with Jamal to betray him by working with Lucious. *Terrell Carter as Warren Hall, (season 4) :An attorney, Diana Dubois' nephew, Angelo's cousin and Jamal's ex. * Nicole Ari Parker as Giselle Sims-Barker, (season 5–6; season 4 recurring) : Eddie Barker's trophy ex-wife. *Chet Hanks as Blake Sterling, (season 5; season 4 recurring) :A rapper and Hakeem's friend. * Rhyon Nicole Brown as Maya Landry-Lyon (seasons 5–6; season 4 recurring) :The daughter of Cookie's fellow inmate Poundcake and Hakeem Lyon's current wife. She and Tiana share an extreme dislike towards one another. with the former being Jealous of Tiana's success and the latter feeling bitter about Maya's relationship with Hakeem. *A.Z. Kelsey as Jeff Kingsley (seasons 5–6) :Hotshot, Silicon Valley genius turned interim leader of Empire Entertainment. He is Ivy League educated with an edge and a dark secret. Lucious' illegitimate son. In the season five finale, Jeff commits suicide in front of Lucious, and his heart is given to Andre for a heart transplant. * Vivica A. Fox as Candace Holloway Mason (season 6; seasons 2-5 recurring) :Cookie's well-behaved but snobby and judgmental older sister. She is a
realtor A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...
. *
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
as Devon (season 6; season 5 recurring): Lucious' new artist and Tiana's new love interest. *
Meta Golding Meta Golding is a Haitian-American actress. Life and career Golding was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Her parents were international aid workers and she was raised in several countries. Besides the United States, Golding also lived in India, H ...
as Teri Brooks-Lyon (season 6; season 5 recurring) :Andre's new wife and Quincy's mother. *Katlynn Simone as Treasure (season 6; season 5 recurring) :Seen as the replacement for season 3 character Nessa Parker. Formerly a prison social worker, but now an artist at Empire and Tiana's main rival. * Wood Harris as Damon Cross (season 6; season 5 recurring) :Lucious' rival and Cookie's new love interest.


Episodes


Production

Howard, Henson and Sidibe filmed the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
(Cinespace Chicago Film Studios) in March 2014. On May 6, 2014,
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
picked up ''Empire'' as a series order for its 2014–15 television schedule. On May 12, 2014, Fox announced that ''Empire'' would air as a midseason replacement, rather than as a part of the fall schedule. On November 19, 2014, it was confirmed that the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
would premiere on January 7, 2015, following the season 14 premiere of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
''. The
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
s are Brian Grazer, Danny Strong and Francie Calfo. The show is written by Strong while Lee Daniels, who has been nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Director The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibi ...
, made his television directorial debut with the show. According to Strong, the show is based in part on
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...
'', and James Goldman's ''
The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...
''; Daniels also acknowledged a strong influence from the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
prime-time
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
''.
Ilene Chaiken Ilene Chaiken (born June 30, 1957) is an American television producer, director, writer, and founder of Little Chicken Productions. Chaiken is best known as being a co-creator, writer and executive producer on the television series ''The L Word' ...
later joined the series as
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
. On January 17, 2015, the series was renewed for an 18-episode second season, which premiered on September 23, 2015. The fourth season, consisting of eighteen episodes premiered on September 27, 2017, and crossed over with another Fox series co-created by Daniels, ''
Star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
''. On May 2, 2018, Fox renewed the series for a fifth season with Brett Mahoney taking over as showrunner from
Ilene Chaiken Ilene Chaiken (born June 30, 1957) is an American television producer, director, writer, and founder of Little Chicken Productions. Chaiken is best known as being a co-creator, writer and executive producer on the television series ''The L Word' ...
. The season premiered on September 26, 2018. On April 15, 2019, ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' reported that a judge was allowing 300 jailed youth to sue Fox for using their prison facility to film ''Empire.'' In March 2020, production of the final season was shut down due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.


Casting

Howard was cast in the lead on February 19, 2014. Henson was named as the female lead on February 26, and Jussie Smollett was announced in a starring role. Howard and Henson previously starred together as love interests in the film ''
Hustle & Flow ''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. It als ...
'', and starred in the 2005 film '' Four Brothers''. On March 10, 2014, Sidibe, who had previously worked with Daniels in '' Precious'', was cast in a recurring role as Becky, Lucious' assistant.
Trai Byers Trai Byers (born July 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Andre Lyon in the Fox television series ''Empire'' (2015–2020). Early life Trai Byers was born in Kansas City, Kansas. After a year of high school in Kansas Ci ...
and Grace Gealey were announced in regular roles, while
Bryshere Y. Gray Bryshere Yazuan Gray (born November 28, 1993), also known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest or simply Yazz, is an American actor and rapper, best known for his role as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series ''Empire'' ...
and
Malik Yoba A​​bdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film '' Cool Runnings''. ...
were announced in starring roles. Courtney Love was added to the cast on October 23, 2014. Naomi Campbell was announced in a recurring role on September 29, 2014. On June 2, 2015, it was announced
Adam Rodriguez Adam Michael Rodriguez (born April 2, 1975)"Adam Rodriguez" (2006). ''Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television''. Vol. 71. Detroit: Gale. Accessed via ''Biography in Context'' database, August 7, 2016. is an American actor, screenwriter and ...
would join the cast in a recurring role in the second season of ''Empire'', portraying Laz Delgado, a potential love interest for Cookie. In 2016,
Phylicia Rashad Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom ''The Cosby S ...
was cast as a recurring guest star in the role of Diana DuBois in the third season of ''Empire''. In February 2017, Rumer Willis joined the third season of ''Empire'' in a recurring role.


Jussie Smollett

On January 22, 2019, Jussie Smollett filed a police report about a threatening letter sent to Fox Studios, where ''Empire'' is filmed. According to Smollett, the letter contained "threatening language" and a powdery substance believed to be crushed-up Tylenol. On January 29, 2019, Smollett reported that he was attacked by two men who shouted "homophobic and racial slurs" at him and then threw an "unknown chemical substance" on him. Smollett told police that they wrapped a rope around his neck and yelled " MAGA country", which references President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan. Smollett was then hospitalized. On February 13, Chicago police arrested two "persons of interest". However, on February 14, 2019, it was revealed that police were investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack because Smollett believed he was being written off ''Empire''. Interrogations revealed that both men, the Osundairo brothers, were allegedly paid off by Smollett to stage the attack. On February 20, 2019, Smollett was indicted for filing a false police report. He faces a maximum of three years in prison. Subsequently, Smollett was removed from the last two episodes of the fifth season. In a written statement, the show's producers said that "While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays... We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of 'Jamal' from the final two episodes of the season." On March 26, it was announced that the charges against Smollett had been dropped, although he remains under federal investigation regarding a hate letter that is believed to have been written by Smollett himself. The fate of Smollett's character 'Jamal' currently remains unclear. On April 30, 2019, it was announced that although Fox Entertainment had extended Smollett's contract for season six of ''Empire''. There were no plans for the character to appear during the season. On June 4, 2019, series co-creator Lee Daniels officially announced that Smollett would not be returning for the sixth and final season. On December 9, 2021, Smollett was convicted on five of six counts brought against him by Special Prosecutor Dan Webb in the hoax case and is awaiting sentencing, where he faces up to three years in county jail for his fabricated police reports.


Music

After finding his lead actors, Lee Daniels set out to find a producer to craft the music for the series. Because he felt his own musical tastes and desires would be a little too dated for the show, Daniels consulted with people he thought could give him a little more insight, his children. At the urging of his son and daughter, Daniels contacted super producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, known for scoring hits with some of pop and R&B’s biggest artists including
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
,
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
,
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
,
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...
, Ginuwine, and
Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...
. As executive music Producer, Timbaland, co-songwriter/producer Jim Beanz, and a team of other musical collaborators took their cues from the writing team, which gave them an idea of where the plot is headed, and craft songs to fit those themes. However, the musical aspect of the series is very reality-based, unlike Fox's last musical series, ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'', performances come with the organic development of the characters as artists, much like the performances featured in the ABC prime-time country musical drama ''
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
''. Any licensed songs and composer Fil Eisler's score are added after the episodes are filmed. The pilot itself consists of 12 songs.
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
releases weekly soundtracks of ''Empire'' on the
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
, the same strategy used with ''Glee''. In May 2015, Fox announced that Ne-Yo and
J.R. Rotem Jonathan Reuven Rotem is a South African-born record producer, songwriter and music publisher. Biography Early life Rotem was born in South Africa to Jewish Israeli people, Israeli immigrant parents. He moved to Canada at the age of two an ...
would write music for the show's second season, joining Timbaland. Timbaland left ''Empire'' after season 2, and were replaced for season 3 by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and
Esther Dean Esther Renay Dean (born April 15, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer and actress. Dean has also written songs for many artists, with numerous Top 10 hits, including No. 1 hits for Rihanna and Katy Perry, earning the name " ...
. On September 8, 2015, Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi from
Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, currently consisting of vocalists Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements ...
arranged a medley of songs from the first season of ''Empire'' and posted it on their shared YouTube comedy/music channel,
Superfruit Superfood is a marketing term for food claimed to confer health benefits resulting from an exceptional nutrient density. The term is not commonly used by experts, dietitians and nutrition scientists, most of whom dispute that particular foods h ...
. The video was sponsored by the Fox Broadcasting Company.


Soundtracks

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
released the official
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
of ''Empires first season on March 10, 2015. The soundtrack consists of 11 songs and the deluxe version consists of 18 songs, all performed on the show. As of October 2015, the album has sold 439,000 total copies in the United States. Additional releases have followed for subsequent seasons. For
season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
, four songs from the premiere episode were released in advance of the season, and two new songs will be released each week ahead of each new episode.


Broadcast

''Empire'' was set to premiere in Australia on February 19, 2015 on
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
; however, a week out from this date it was dumped from the schedule and pushed back. It ultimately premiered on March 1, 2015, to a disappointing 377,000 total viewers, although it fared better with viewers in younger demographics. The second season was broadcast on
Eleven Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *'' ...
from September 29, 2015. In Canada, the series was simulcast on
Omni Television Omni Television (stylized as OMNI Television) is a Canadian television system and specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media, a subsidiary of Rogers Communications. It currently consists of all six of Canada's conventional multicultural t ...
(
Omni 2 CJMT-DT (channel 40) is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of two flagship stations of the Canadian multilingual network Omni Television. CJMT-DT is owned and operated by Rogers Sports & Media alongside sister Omni outl ...
). The fourth episode and the season finale would also air on
City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, a sibling broadcast network. Sibling cable network FX Canada would also air a marathon of the show on March 14 and 15, 2015. The show moved to City starting in the 2015–16 season, but was dropped from their lineup after the first half of the second season due to low ratings; Fox affiliates are widely available on pay television as well as over-the-air in some areas.
Shomi Shomi (pronounced "show me") was a Canadian subscription video on demand service jointly owned by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications. The service was viewed as a Canadian-based competitor to Netflix, with a library of 1,200 films and 1 ...
, a subscription streaming service co-owned by City's parent company Rogers Communications, began to add new episodes following their U.S. premiere on Fox. A representative of the service stated that ''Empire'' was among its ten most popular programs. ''Empire'' started broadcasting in the United Kingdom on E4 with the first episode airing on April 28, 2015.
5Star 5Star (stylized as 5STAR) is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Paramount Networks UK & Australia and a sister channel of Channel 5. It originally launched as the female-orientated Five Life on 15 October 2006, and was relaunch ...
have since taken over the rights as of Season 4. The series premiered in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
on STAR World Premiere HD on April 24, 2015 (only in high-definition). Later, on July 14, 2015, Empire also premiered on FX India (both in standard and high definition) with the Season 1 finale airing on July 29, 2015. Empire premiered on June 24, 2015 in Germany on
Pro Sieben ProSieben (, ''sieben'' is German for "seven"; often stylized as Pro7) is a German free-to-air television network owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media. It was launched on 1 January 1989. It is Germany's second-largest privately owned television company ...
, with the Pilot reaching 930,000 viewers. In Finland, the show premiered on
Sub Sub is a common abbreviation of words beginning with the prefix "sub-". Sub or SUB may also refer to Places * Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia, IATA code SUB Computing and technology * , an HTML tag for subscript * SUB designate ...
on December 2, 2015. In South Africa, the show premiered on
e.tv e.tv (commonly referred to on-air as e) is the first and only privately owned free-to-air television station in South Africa. It is the fifth terrestrial television channel in the country, following three channels that are operated by the sta ...
on February 3, 2016. In Serbia, the series premiered on Fox, on January 23, 2016. In the United States, TV One has the exclusive cable rerun rights.


Reception

In 2016, a study by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' of the 50 TV shows with the most
Facebook Like The like button on the social networking website Facebook was first enabled on February 9, 2009. The like button enables users to easily interact with status updates, comments, photos and videos, links shared by friends, and advertisements. Onc ...
s found that ''Empire'' "is most popular in the
Black Belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...
and in parts of the country with a high percentage of Native Americans".


Ratings

*Note: The eleventh episode of the first season aired outside of its regular timeslot at Wednesday 8 pm.


Critical response

''Empire'' has received positive reviews from critics. The praise has gone towards the cast, particularly Howard and Henson. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the first season has a rating of 84%, based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 7.24/10. 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 Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
the show has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". For the second season, the score rose a few points higher, further praising the performances of Henson and Howard, the character development, plot development, and the show's self-awareness for being a soap opera. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a 87% "Certified Fresh" with an average rating of 7.54/10 from critics and a score of 77 from Metacritic, indicating "generally positive reviews".
David Wiegand Robert David Wiegand (May 19, 1947 – April 30, 2018) was an American journalist and short-story writer, head of arts and entertainment for the ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Life and career Wiegand was born in Rochester, New York, where he gradua ...
wrote in the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'': "Almost nothing about ''Empire'', created by Lee Daniels (''
The Butler ''The Butler'' (full title ''Lee Daniels' The Butler'') is a 2013 American historical drama film directed and co-produced by Lee Daniels and with a screenplay by Danny Strong. It is inspired by Wil Haygood's ''Washington Post'' article "A Butle ...
''), feels original, but after a few minutes, you will stop caring".
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
stated via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that he feels that ''Empire'' is being marketed by FOX in a way that resembles the marketing for the 2014
Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
series that he produces called '' Power''. Michael Logan of ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' described ''Empire'' as a "sudsy retooling of ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...
'' with hip hop as the backdrop" and praised Henson for her portrayal of the character Cookie. The show's premiere ranked as Fox's highest-rated debut in three years. ''Empire'' was the first primetime broadcast series in at least 23 years to have its viewership increase week to week for its first five episodes. The show continued to increase its viewership with further episodes. Episodes of the show have also been heavily watched on Video on Demand and other streaming services. ''Empire'' surpassed ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'' as the highest rated scripted program in the 2014–2015 television season. The first-season finale was also the highest rated debut season finale since May 2005, when '' Grey's Anatomy'' ended its first season. ''Empire's'' season one finale grew 82 percent from its series premiere, making it the show that has grown the most over the course of its first season since '' Men in Trees'' during the 2006–2007 season.


Awards and nominations


See also

*"
The Great Phatsby "The Great Phatsby" is the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the The Simpsons (season 28), twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 608th and 609th episodes of the series overall. The first part w ...
" – a parody of the show on fellow Fox program ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''.


References


Further reading

* *


External links

*
Official "Empire Enterprises" website, run by FOX
* * * *
''Empire''
a
The Futon Critic
* {{Portal bar, Television, United States 2010s American black television series 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series 2010s American music television series 2015 American television series debuts 2020 American television series endings 2020s American black television series 2020s American LGBT-related drama television series 2020s American music television series American black television series American musical television series American television soap operas Bipolar disorder in fiction English-language television shows Fox Broadcasting Company original programming Hip hop television Lesbian-related television shows Television about mental health New York City in fiction Serial drama television series Television series about dysfunctional families Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series created by Lee Daniels Television shows featuring audio description Television shows set in New York City Television series about fictional musicians Television series by Imagine Entertainment Television series about siblings Television controversies in the United States Works by Malcolm Spellman