Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard, lead stars of Empire, share how the show captures the essence of daily life in the US. They talk about their favourite moments
So what we can expect from the showEmpireIJ
Terrence: Expect to have your wig twisted back with the show. It is a multifaceted, multidimensional show that talks about life-changing moments or everyday events that happen in the lives of most people. And for every single incident or subject there will be someone speaking for it and against it and each person will speak as loudly as they possibly can.
Both of you shifted from movies to television, while most do the opposite. Tell us about the difficulties that you faced during the transition.
Terrence: I think they use the same cameras for both. In movies you have to get used to saying your words real fast but television does not have a time constraint. The makers often tell us, “No, you can take a moment here. You can slow it down.”
Taraji: In movies you don’t get as much time as in television. You have to cram in eight pages a day whereas in television, you can do one page a day so you can let scenes and moments breathe.
What convinced you to become a part of this showIJ
Taraji:It was because the script read like a feature film. It was like a no-brainer. The studio was behind it, the script was amazing, the director, line-up, everything was incredible. I was like, “This is going to shake up the world and television. And I want to be a part of it.” Plus, the names that were attached — lee Daniels, Danny Strong and Brian Grazer — were enough to convince me.
Terrence: But for me, it was the opportunity to work with a really talented cast. We have Gabby, who’s so beautifully underrated in a sense that, I think, she deserves to be plastered all over America because of her grit and her heart. Then there were the songs. I believe some of them should be number one songs on the radio.
Tell us something about shooting the pilot episode.
Terrence: The good thing about that first scene in the pilot was that it made comparisons between Taraji and I because we were both in the movie Hustle & Flow. It was where we show the artistry of building a song. Here, we had an opportunity to see how great producers created and moulded an artist and make them go places that they needed to go in order to touch the audience.
The show is more than songs and has elements that people in the US can relate to.
Taraji: When you get a cast that is predominantly black, then there comes this label, “Well that’s a black this or a black that.” The danger in saying that is that you make others who aren’t black, feel, “Oh, well that’s just for black people.” I don’t label things when I go to the movies, I don’t go and say, “Oh, you know, this week I want to see a white movie or that good Chinese movie.” I go because I see the preview and it makes me want to spend my money. I don’t care what it is — if somebody’s in love or they’re in pain or they lost a loved one — I understand that. That has no color. That’s what I want this show to do because we’re a predominantly black cast. It crosses all colour lines because it’s a story about humans going through things that humans go through.
Terrence: These songs are universal songs that are written to reach the heart of everyone. Moreover, they are about pain that everybody understands.
The show airs every Thursday on Star World Premiere HD