Lee Danielsis opening up about the “horrible” time he had makingEmpirefor Fox.
So what was it like?
Absolutely the worst experience.
Lee Daniels attends ‘The Deliverance’ Los Angeles premiere in August.Presley Ann/Getty
“But guess what?
F—ing that money, money,money!
I was able to put my kids through college and s—.”
Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in ‘Empire’.FOX via Getty
Daniels began his career in Hollywood as a casting director and ultimately talent manager.
ButEmpiremade Daniels the rare filmmaker to successfully transition to broadcast TV without giving up filmmaking.
“I dont like staying in the same lane just as a creative,” he recalled.
“When I got into television, I really just wanted to be able to answer to suits.
I wanted to know what that experience was like.”
He remembered that “all of my friends, they get notes and s—.
And Im like, ‘What is that like?’
You know what I mean?
Because every film of mine had been independent.”
Daniels enjoyed being able to “do my thing” where “nobody is in my head.”
FOX via Getty
Daniels has spoken about his frustrations working onEmpirebefore.
“I said, ‘Okay.’
And I think they said, ‘You cant look people in the eyes too long.
Be careful with touching.’
These are all things that I do in my room when I work.
And then they said, ‘And you cant say the N-word.’
I was shook,” he told Vulture.
I said, ‘I cant have this conversation.
I need to know who I can call on you.
Youre not going to play these games with me.'"
Empirecollapsed around the revelation that starJussie Smollethadstaged a hate crimeand filed a false police report.
TheEmpireexecutive experience must not have been horrible enough for Daniels to retreat fully back into independent mode.
He madeThe Deliverancefor Netflix, though he did experience production frustrations that he was characteristically candid about.
“Netflix kept saying tension, tension, tension, tension.
And I didnt really want tension,” he said.
Daniels feels he “sold out a little bit because were not in the world of cinema.
