Jaguars associate strength ach out as gay a first for US-based pro leagu

Contents:

• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 3:19PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 18, 2015 5:20AM EDT CHUCK HOS/FOXTHE DAY BEFORE EMPIRE PREMIERED ON FOX, DANNY STRONG, WHO -CREATED THE BLOCKBTER H SERI WH LEE DANIELS, LLED HIS AGENT TO ASK ABOUT RATGS. FRH OFF THE BOX-OFFICE SUCCS OF THE BUTLER, WHICH HE WROTE, AND CRIL ACLAS FOR HIS TV MOVI GAME CHANGE AND REUNT—WHICH AIRED ON HBO, WHERE VIEWERSHIP IS MORE OF A NOVELTY THAN A NECSY—HE WAS KD OF CLUELS ABOUT THE WHOLE THG.“I LLED AND SAID, ‘SO WHAT’S GOOD?’” HE SAYS, LGHG HYSTERILLY AT THE SILLS OF THE QUTN NOW.AFTER ALL, EMPIRE’S UNPRECENTED RATGS SUCCS HAS BEE THE STUFF OF TV LEGEND. THE WILDLY POPULAR, OUTLANDISHLY BOLD, AND IRRISTIBLY ADDICTIVE SOAP OPERA ABOUT A HIP-HOP MOGUL AND HIS EPILLY FLAWED FAY WAS THE FIRST DRAMA 21 YEARS TO SRE HIGHER RATGS EACH OF S FIRST THREE WEEKS. AND THEN KEPT GROWG FOR EVERY SGLE ONE OF S NE EPISOS, ALL LEADG UP TO S HOTLY ANTICIPATED SEASON FALE AIRG WEDNDAY NIGHT.EMPIRE BUTED JANUARY TO A 3.8 RATG AND A RONATN BY CRICS AS THE HEIR TO DYNASTY, A RIVETG AND RIDICULO PRIMETIME SOAP OPERA WORTHY OF OUR FATUATN. LAST WEEK’S EPISO DREW A SPECTACULAR 5.8 RATG AND CEMENTED S STAT AS A BONA FI POP CULTURE PHENOMENON—ONE THAT ALS WH RACE AND HOMOSEXUALY WAYS BOTH NUANCED AND LOUD, AND, FOR ONCE, HAS PEOPLE OF ALL RAC AND MOGRAPHICS WATCHG AT THE SAME TIME. SRCHED BY THE SHOW’S HOTNS AS BUILDS TO WEDNDAY’S SEASON FALE, WE ATTEMPTED TO PICK STRONG’S BRA FOR SECRETS TO THE BIG FAL EPISO—“I’M A SPOILER-EE TERVIEW,” STRONG SAYS—BUT SETTLED FOR HEARG THE SECRETS TO THE SHOW’S SUCCS OM ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS ORCHTRATG .TRYG TO PPOT THE FORMULA RPONSIBLE FOR EMPIRE’S UNEXPECTED RISE HAS BEEN A B OF AN OBSSN OF POP CULTURE OBSSIV, AND THE SUBJECT OF P THK PIEC AND DTRY REPORTS. “I DON’T THK ’S VERY PLITED,” STRONG SISTS, TMPETG THREE WORDS THAT ARE AS VALUABLE TODAY’S TV CLIMATE AS THEY’VE EVER BEEN: WORD OF MOUTH.“I THK ’S TWO FACTORS,” HE SAYS. “PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THE SHOW, AND WE’RE TERG TO AN DIENCE THAT’S GROSSLY UNRREPRENTED TELEVISN RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THE AIN-AMERIN DIENCE.”“WHEN WE PREMIERED, WE HAD HUGE NUMBERS AIN-AMERIN HOEHOLDS AND WE HAD OK NUMBERS WHE HOEHOLDS,” HE SAYS. HE THOUGHT, HEY, THERE’S ROOM TO GROW—THAT THE POSIVY SURROUNDG THE SHOW WOULD E TO SPIKE WH WHE VIEWERS—WHICH DID. “WHAT I DIDN’T EXPECT WAS THAT OUR AIN-AMERIN NUMBERS WOULD DOUBLE BY THEN, TOO.” EMPIRE, THEN, UNTS SELF AS A PART OF A GROUP OF HMAN TV SERI, CLUDG HOW TO GET AWAY WH MURR AND BLACK-ISH, FEATURG DIVERSE STS AND STORYL THAT DON’T SHY AWAY OM RACE AND ARE—WOULD YOU BELIEVE—STILL BIG, FAT HS, DISPROVG THE NOTN THAT “BLACK” SHOWS SHOULD ONLY BE MARKETED TO “BLACK” DIENC. OR THAT “MASTREAM” (READ: WHE) DIENC WOULDN’T EMBRACE STORI THAT REFLECT THE LIV OF OTHER CULTUR.STILL, PERHAPS OWED TO S UNPARALLELED POPULARY, EMPIRE IS FIELDG A NSIRABLE AMOUNT OF BACKLASH. AS IS THE SE WHENEVER A TV SHOW GIV REPRENTATN TO MUNI THAT HAVEN’T HAD MUCH OF ON TV BEFORE—WHETHER ’S THE GAY MUNY, OR, AS WE SAW RECENTLY WH FRH OFF THE BOAT, THE ASIAN-AMERIN MUNY—THERE ARE CRICS WHO ARE UNHAPPY THAT EVERYONE ON THE SPECTM OF THAT MUNY ISN’T REPRENTED, OR THAT THEIR MUNY IS BEG RCED TO STEREOTYP.“WE’VE EXPERIENCED , BUT I HAVEN’T FOUND OVERWHELMG,” STRONG SAYS WHEN I BRG UP THE BACKLASH. “IT’S LIKE, YOU GET TWO ARTICL OUT THERE AND ALL OF A SUDN ’S LIKE, ‘THERE’S BACKLASH!’”BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE DISMAYED OVER THE FACT THAT THE LEADS OF THE SHOW—TERRENCE HOWARD’S RERD LABEL OWNER LUC LYON AND HIS TRANGED WIFE, TARAJI P. HENSON’S COOKIE—ARE BOTH FORMER CRIMALS, AND SO EMPIRE PERPETUAT THE WORST BLACK STEREOTYP?“I’LL SAY THIS: OUR STORY IS ABOUT A GROUP OF CHARACTERS,” STRONG SAYS. “WE’RE NOT TRYG TO REPRENT BLACK CULTURE S ENTIRETY. WE’RE ALSO NOT TRYG TO FIGHT A CIVIL RIGHTS BATTLE OUR PROJECT. WE’RE JT TRYG TO TELL A FUN, DYNAMIC, TTHFUL, ENGAGG SOAP OPERA. AND SO THE CHARACTERS ARE GOG TO BE FLAWED; THAT’S JT LLED ‘REALISTIC.’ I THK IF PEOPLE EXPECT EVERY SGLE CHARACTER TO OVERE SOME SORT OF STEREOTYPE THAT PEOPLE ARE NCERNED ABOUT, YOU’RE NOT GOG TO HAVE A) TTH OR B) MUCH ENTERTAMENT VALUE.”AND AS FOR FEELG ANY SORT OF RPONSIBILY TO ALTER THE WAY RACE IS PORTRAYED ON THE SHOW SEASON TWO, GIVEN HOW MUCH OF A TALKG POT INTY AND REPRENTATN HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT SEASON ONE? “ABSOLUTELY NOT,” HE SAYS.AND WHY SHOULD HE FEEL ? IT’S PROGRSIVE THAT, WH EMPIRE, BLACK CHARACTERS ARE FALLY EE TO BE AS FLAWED AND PLITED AS ANY OTHER CHARACTERS HAVE LONG BEEN ALLOWED. PL, “AIN AMERINS LOVE THE SHOW,” HE SAYS. “I DON’T THK WE’RE OFFENDG THEM, OR THEY WOULDN’T BE WATCHG.” GIVEN HOW SUPREMELY POPULAR EMPIRE HAS BEEN AS A TV SHOW, MIGHT BE SURPRISG TO LEARN THAT WAS FIRST PCHED BY STRONG AS A MOVIE, BEFORE HIS CREATIVE PARTNER LEE DANIELS PROMPTLY STCTED HIM THAT WOULD BE BETTER OFF AS A TV SHOW. BUT WHILE WE’RE CERTALY THE MIDST OF AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL MOMENT FOR THE POPULARY AND VISIBILY OF TV SHOWS FEATURG DIVERSE STS, ’S HARD NOT TO WONR WHAT THE RECEPTN WAS AT WORKS TO A SOAP OPERA FEATURG AN ALL-BLACK ST BACK LATE 2013, WHEN EMPIRE WAS FIRST BEG PCHED.“EVERYONE WANTED ,” STRONG SAYS MATTER-OF-FACTLY. HE KNOWS THAT MIGHT SOUND SURPRISG—UNTIL HE EXPLAS MORE. “WELL, LOOK, WE PCHED THE SHOW THE WEEK AFTER THE BUTLER WAS THE NO. 1 MOVIE THE UNTRY, SO THE TIMG WAS PRETTY GOOD.” BUT NOT JT BEE OF THE BUTLER. “SNDAL WAS A HUGE H. ALSO, BLE WAS KILLG THE WORKS RATGS-WISE. PEOPLE JT FELT OPEN TO SOMETHG THAT FELT NEW AND ORIGAL.”A SOAP OPERA ABOUT A HIP-HOP RERD LABEL OWNER BATTLG ALS WH A GAY SON STGGLG TO E OUT, A SON WH BIPOLAR DISORR, AND ANOTHER WHO IS DATG A FASHN SIGNER PLAYED BY NAOMI CAMPBELL CERTALY F THAT BILL. BUT ALSO NEW AND ORIGAL, AND CERTALY KEEPG WH THE PHILOSOPHY PREACHED BY SHONDA RHIM’S DRAMAS, WAS THAT TV SHOWS SHOULD SAY SOMETHG IMPORTANT, AND HAVE A SOCIAL MSAGE. AND STRONG KNEW HE WANTED TO DO THAT WH THE GAY SON CHARACTER, JAMAL, PLAYED BY JSIE SMOLLETT.“ATTACKG HOMOPHOBIA WAS MY ORIGAL PCH TO LEE,” HE SAYS. “WHERE I SAID THE HIP-HOP MOGUL IS GOG TO HAVE A GAY SON WHO IS CREDIBLY TALENTED WHO SHOULD BE THE ONE WHO TAK OVER THE EMPIRE, BUT HE HAT HIM BEE HE’S GAY. AND UNFLCHGLY ATTACK HOMOPHOBIA THIS MASTREAM PIECE OF MATERIAL.”THE ROG RPONSE TO JAMAL’S STORYLE BLED TO A REAL-LIFE SCTY OF S ACTOR’S PERSONAL PROCLIVI, WHICH MEANT THAT SMOLLETT SUDNLY FOUND HIMSELF HAVG TO ANSWER QUTNS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY THAT HE DIDN’T SEEM READY TO ANSWER, AND, ON TOP OF THAT, DIDN’T SEE VALUABLE TO THE NVERSATN SPARKED BY JAMAL’S ARC BY ANSWERG.“WE’RE GOG THROUGH THIS CHANGG TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY MARRIAGE HAS FLIPPED,” STRONG SAYS. “PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BIGOTED ARE NOW STARTG TO LOOK AT THE ISSUE DIFFERENTLY. SO THE ACTORS BEG AT THE FOREONT OF STORYL THAT ARE TACKLG THIS, A NATURAL NSEQUENCE OF THAT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOG TO BE CUR ABOUT THE ACTORS’ PERSONAL LIV.” SMOLLETT’S SEXUALY AND OWN G OUT SOON BEME A NARRATIVE OF S OWN, TO RIVAL HIS ON-SCREEN UNTERPART. “BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY JSIE DID DISCS AND I’M CREDIBLY PROUD OF HIM,” STRONG SAYS. “ONE THG I WAS HOPG WAS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO THK THEY’RE GAY OR KNOW THEY’RE GAY AT THAT AGE WILL WATCH JAMAL AND WATCH EMPIRE AND THEY’LL SEE LUC AND THEY’LL SEE THAT LUC IS WRONG AND JAMAL IS RIGHT, AND WILL MAKE THEM FORTABLE WH THEMSELV AND WHO THEY ARE. MAYBE THEY’LL NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STGGLE THAT SOME PEOPLE DID WHO DIDN’T HAVE ROLE MOLS LIKE THAT.”SO, EMBRACG RACE. SAYG SOMETHG IMPORTANT. APPEALG TO AN DIENCE THAT’S GROSSLY UNRREPRENTED, BUT NOT MARGALIZG THEM. WE’VE TOUCHED ON MOST OF THE SECRETS TO EMPIRE’S SUCCS EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS THE BIGGT ONE: STRONG HIMSELF. HE’S AN ACTOR (HE’S APPEARED ON BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AND GIRLS) AND A PROLIFIC SCREENWRER. HE’S ALSO, AS MANY PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO POT OUT AND ARE SURPRISED BY, WHE.“MAYBE PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED,” HE NCES, ADDG THAT HE’S ROUTELY ASKED HOW HE’S ABLE TO WRE SO BELIEVABLY ABOUT THE WORLD OF HIP-HOP AND BLACK CULTURE. “THE REAL QUTN IS HOW N I WRE ANY WORLD?” HE SAYS. “EVERYTHG I WRE HAS NOTHG TO DO WH ME.”THAT’S A VERY SOLID POT. STRONG WROTE THE SCREENPLAYS FOR THE MOCKGJAY FILMS THAT NCLU THE HUNGER GAM ANCHISE, BUT ’S UNLIKELY THAT HE HAS MUCH EXPERIENCE A DYSTOPIAN WORLD ON THE BRK OF CIVIL WAR. AND HE WON AN EMMY FOR HIS WORK GETTG SI THE MD OF SARAH PAL, A WORLD THAT NO MAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO BELIEVABLY NAVIGATE.TO THAT REGARD, THERE’S AN ASTONISHG BREADTH AND DIVERSY WHEN YOU LOOK AT STRONG’S BODY OF WORK. THERE’S THE POLIL CIRC OF REUNT AND GAME CHANGE, THE ROG CIVIL RIGHTS WORK OF THE BUTLER, THE EXPLOSIVE WARRGS OF A HIP-HOP FAY EMPIRE, AND THE CSA OF YA HEROE KATNISS EVEREN ONE OF THE BIGGT BLOCKBTER ANCHIS GOG.“IF THERE’S ANY ONE WORD OR PHRASE YOU ULD E TO TIE THE THGS TOGETHER, I THK ’S THAT I’M JT ATTRACTED TO STORI THAT ARE EPIC,” HE SAYS. THE STAK ARE HIGH. THERE’S LARGER-THAN-LIFE SPE THAT HE MANAG TO RE BACK TO A VERY HUMAN STORY. “YOU LOOK AT SOMETHG LIKE EMPIRE,” HE SAYS. “IT’S A FAY BATTLE. I WANTED TO BE SHAKPEAREAN SPE. THOSE ARE THE STORI THAT APPEAL TO ME PERSONALLY.”AH, THE FAL SECRET: MAKE EPIC. IT’S CERTALY HARD TO REFUTE THAT. KEV FALLON

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be drafted when the then-St. But the seri, which premier Wednday, mak s bolst statement wh a sgle character — a gay one.

------------LGBT story l and characters on work prime time aren’t new, but for a show steeped a genre that has a history of homophobia, “Empire” feels groundbreakg.

KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 3:19PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 18, 2015 5:20AM EDT CHUCK HOS/FOXTHE DAY BEFORE EMPIRE PREMIERED ON FOX, DANNY STRONG, WHO -CREATED THE BLOCKBTER H SERI WH LEE DANIELS, LLED HIS AGENT TO ASK ABOUT RATGS. FRH OFF THE BOX-OFFICE SUCCS OF THE BUTLER, WHICH HE WROTE, AND CRIL ACLAS FOR HIS TV MOVI GAME CHANGE AND REUNT—WHICH AIRED ON HBO, WHERE VIEWERSHIP IS MORE OF A NOVELTY THAN A NECSY—HE WAS KD OF CLUELS ABOUT THE WHOLE THG.“I LLED AND SAID, ‘SO WHAT’S GOOD?’” HE SAYS, LGHG HYSTERILLY AT THE SILLS OF THE QUTN NOW.AFTER ALL, EMPIRE’S UNPRECENTED RATGS SUCCS HAS BEE THE STUFF OF TV LEGEND. THE WILDLY POPULAR, OUTLANDISHLY BOLD, AND IRRISTIBLY ADDICTIVE SOAP OPERA ABOUT A HIP-HOP MOGUL AND HIS EPILLY FLAWED FAY WAS THE FIRST DRAMA 21 YEARS TO SRE HIGHER RATGS EACH OF S FIRST THREE WEEKS. AND THEN KEPT GROWG FOR EVERY SGLE ONE OF S NE EPISOS, ALL LEADG UP TO S HOTLY ANTICIPATED SEASON FALE AIRG WEDNDAY NIGHT.EMPIRE BUTED JANUARY TO A 3.8 RATG AND A RONATN BY CRICS AS THE HEIR TO DYNASTY, A RIVETG AND RIDICULO PRIMETIME SOAP OPERA WORTHY OF OUR FATUATN. LAST WEEK’S EPISO DREW A SPECTACULAR 5.8 RATG AND CEMENTED S STAT AS A BONA FI POP CULTURE PHENOMENON—ONE THAT ALS WH RACE AND HOMOSEXUALY WAYS BOTH NUANCED AND LOUD, AND, FOR ONCE, HAS PEOPLE OF ALL RAC AND MOGRAPHICS WATCHG AT THE SAME TIME. SRCHED BY THE SHOW’S HOTNS AS BUILDS TO WEDNDAY’S SEASON FALE, WE ATTEMPTED TO PICK STRONG’S BRA FOR SECRETS TO THE BIG FAL EPISO—“I’M A SPOILER-EE TERVIEW,” STRONG SAYS—BUT SETTLED FOR HEARG THE SECRETS TO THE SHOW’S SUCCS OM ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS ORCHTRATG .TRYG TO PPOT THE FORMULA RPONSIBLE FOR EMPIRE’S UNEXPECTED RISE HAS BEEN A B OF AN OBSSN OF POP CULTURE OBSSIV, AND THE SUBJECT OF P THK PIEC AND DTRY REPORTS. “I DON’T THK ’S VERY PLITED,” STRONG SISTS, TMPETG THREE WORDS THAT ARE AS VALUABLE TODAY’S TV CLIMATE AS THEY’VE EVER BEEN: WORD OF MOUTH.“I THK ’S TWO FACTORS,” HE SAYS. “PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THE SHOW, AND WE’RE TERG TO AN DIENCE THAT’S GROSSLY UNRREPRENTED TELEVISN RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THE AIN-AMERIN DIENCE.”“WHEN WE PREMIERED, WE HAD HUGE NUMBERS AIN-AMERIN HOEHOLDS AND WE HAD OK NUMBERS WHE HOEHOLDS,” HE SAYS. HE THOUGHT, HEY, THERE’S ROOM TO GROW—THAT THE POSIVY SURROUNDG THE SHOW WOULD E TO SPIKE WH WHE VIEWERS—WHICH DID. “WHAT I DIDN’T EXPECT WAS THAT OUR AIN-AMERIN NUMBERS WOULD DOUBLE BY THEN, TOO.” EMPIRE, THEN, UNTS SELF AS A PART OF A GROUP OF HMAN TV SERI, CLUDG HOW TO GET AWAY WH MURR AND BLACK-ISH, FEATURG DIVERSE STS AND STORYL THAT DON’T SHY AWAY OM RACE AND ARE—WOULD YOU BELIEVE—STILL BIG, FAT HS, DISPROVG THE NOTN THAT “BLACK” SHOWS SHOULD ONLY BE MARKETED TO “BLACK” DIENC. OR THAT “MASTREAM” (READ: WHE) DIENC WOULDN’T EMBRACE STORI THAT REFLECT THE LIV OF OTHER CULTUR.STILL, PERHAPS OWED TO S UNPARALLELED POPULARY, EMPIRE IS FIELDG A NSIRABLE AMOUNT OF BACKLASH. AS IS THE SE WHENEVER A TV SHOW GIV REPRENTATN TO MUNI THAT HAVEN’T HAD MUCH OF ON TV BEFORE—WHETHER ’S THE GAY MUNY, OR, AS WE SAW RECENTLY WH FRH OFF THE BOAT, THE ASIAN-AMERIN MUNY—THERE ARE CRICS WHO ARE UNHAPPY THAT EVERYONE ON THE SPECTM OF THAT MUNY ISN’T REPRENTED, OR THAT THEIR MUNY IS BEG RCED TO STEREOTYP.“WE’VE EXPERIENCED , BUT I HAVEN’T FOUND OVERWHELMG,” STRONG SAYS WHEN I BRG UP THE BACKLASH. “IT’S LIKE, YOU GET TWO ARTICL OUT THERE AND ALL OF A SUDN ’S LIKE, ‘THERE’S BACKLASH!’”BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE DISMAYED OVER THE FACT THAT THE LEADS OF THE SHOW—TERRENCE HOWARD’S RERD LABEL OWNER LUC LYON AND HIS TRANGED WIFE, TARAJI P. HENSON’S COOKIE—ARE BOTH FORMER CRIMALS, AND SO EMPIRE PERPETUAT THE WORST BLACK STEREOTYP?“I’LL SAY THIS: OUR STORY IS ABOUT A GROUP OF CHARACTERS,” STRONG SAYS. “WE’RE NOT TRYG TO REPRENT BLACK CULTURE S ENTIRETY. WE’RE ALSO NOT TRYG TO FIGHT A CIVIL RIGHTS BATTLE OUR PROJECT. WE’RE JT TRYG TO TELL A FUN, DYNAMIC, TTHFUL, ENGAGG SOAP OPERA. AND SO THE CHARACTERS ARE GOG TO BE FLAWED; THAT’S JT LLED ‘REALISTIC.’ I THK IF PEOPLE EXPECT EVERY SGLE CHARACTER TO OVERE SOME SORT OF STEREOTYPE THAT PEOPLE ARE NCERNED ABOUT, YOU’RE NOT GOG TO HAVE A) TTH OR B) MUCH ENTERTAMENT VALUE.”AND AS FOR FEELG ANY SORT OF RPONSIBILY TO ALTER THE WAY RACE IS PORTRAYED ON THE SHOW SEASON TWO, GIVEN HOW MUCH OF A TALKG POT INTY AND REPRENTATN HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT SEASON ONE? “ABSOLUTELY NOT,” HE SAYS.AND WHY SHOULD HE FEEL ? IT’S PROGRSIVE THAT, WH EMPIRE, BLACK CHARACTERS ARE FALLY EE TO BE AS FLAWED AND PLITED AS ANY OTHER CHARACTERS HAVE LONG BEEN ALLOWED. PL, “AIN AMERINS LOVE THE SHOW,” HE SAYS. “I DON’T THK WE’RE OFFENDG THEM, OR THEY WOULDN’T BE WATCHG.” GIVEN HOW SUPREMELY POPULAR EMPIRE HAS BEEN AS A TV SHOW, MIGHT BE SURPRISG TO LEARN THAT WAS FIRST PCHED BY STRONG AS A MOVIE, BEFORE HIS CREATIVE PARTNER LEE DANIELS PROMPTLY STCTED HIM THAT WOULD BE BETTER OFF AS A TV SHOW. BUT WHILE WE’RE CERTALY THE MIDST OF AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL MOMENT FOR THE POPULARY AND VISIBILY OF TV SHOWS FEATURG DIVERSE STS, ’S HARD NOT TO WONR WHAT THE RECEPTN WAS AT WORKS TO A SOAP OPERA FEATURG AN ALL-BLACK ST BACK LATE 2013, WHEN EMPIRE WAS FIRST BEG PCHED.“EVERYONE WANTED ,” STRONG SAYS MATTER-OF-FACTLY. HE KNOWS THAT MIGHT SOUND SURPRISG—UNTIL HE EXPLAS MORE. “WELL, LOOK, WE PCHED THE SHOW THE WEEK AFTER THE BUTLER WAS THE NO. 1 MOVIE THE UNTRY, SO THE TIMG WAS PRETTY GOOD.” BUT NOT JT BEE OF THE BUTLER. “SNDAL WAS A HUGE H. ALSO, BLE WAS KILLG THE WORKS RATGS-WISE. PEOPLE JT FELT OPEN TO SOMETHG THAT FELT NEW AND ORIGAL.”A SOAP OPERA ABOUT A HIP-HOP RERD LABEL OWNER BATTLG ALS WH A GAY SON STGGLG TO E OUT, A SON WH BIPOLAR DISORR, AND ANOTHER WHO IS DATG A FASHN SIGNER PLAYED BY NAOMI CAMPBELL CERTALY F THAT BILL. BUT ALSO NEW AND ORIGAL, AND CERTALY KEEPG WH THE PHILOSOPHY PREACHED BY SHONDA RHIM’S DRAMAS, WAS THAT TV SHOWS SHOULD SAY SOMETHG IMPORTANT, AND HAVE A SOCIAL MSAGE. AND STRONG KNEW HE WANTED TO DO THAT WH THE GAY SON CHARACTER, JAMAL, PLAYED BY JSIE SMOLLETT.“ATTACKG HOMOPHOBIA WAS MY ORIGAL PCH TO LEE,” HE SAYS. “WHERE I SAID THE HIP-HOP MOGUL IS GOG TO HAVE A GAY SON WHO IS CREDIBLY TALENTED WHO SHOULD BE THE ONE WHO TAK OVER THE EMPIRE, BUT HE HAT HIM BEE HE’S GAY. AND UNFLCHGLY ATTACK HOMOPHOBIA THIS MASTREAM PIECE OF MATERIAL.”THE ROG RPONSE TO JAMAL’S STORYLE BLED TO A REAL-LIFE SCTY OF S ACTOR’S PERSONAL PROCLIVI, WHICH MEANT THAT SMOLLETT SUDNLY FOUND HIMSELF HAVG TO ANSWER QUTNS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY THAT HE DIDN’T SEEM READY TO ANSWER, AND, ON TOP OF THAT, DIDN’T SEE VALUABLE TO THE NVERSATN SPARKED BY JAMAL’S ARC BY ANSWERG.“WE’RE GOG THROUGH THIS CHANGG TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY MARRIAGE HAS FLIPPED,” STRONG SAYS. “PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BIGOTED ARE NOW STARTG TO LOOK AT THE ISSUE DIFFERENTLY. SO THE ACTORS BEG AT THE FOREONT OF STORYL THAT ARE TACKLG THIS, A NATURAL NSEQUENCE OF THAT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOG TO BE CUR ABOUT THE ACTORS’ PERSONAL LIV.” SMOLLETT’S SEXUALY AND OWN G OUT SOON BEME A NARRATIVE OF S OWN, TO RIVAL HIS ON-SCREEN UNTERPART. “BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY JSIE DID DISCS AND I’M CREDIBLY PROUD OF HIM,” STRONG SAYS. “ONE THG I WAS HOPG WAS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO THK THEY’RE GAY OR KNOW THEY’RE GAY AT THAT AGE WILL WATCH JAMAL AND WATCH EMPIRE AND THEY’LL SEE LUC AND THEY’LL SEE THAT LUC IS WRONG AND JAMAL IS RIGHT, AND WILL MAKE THEM FORTABLE WH THEMSELV AND WHO THEY ARE. MAYBE THEY’LL NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STGGLE THAT SOME PEOPLE DID WHO DIDN’T HAVE ROLE MOLS LIKE THAT.”SO, EMBRACG RACE. SAYG SOMETHG IMPORTANT. APPEALG TO AN DIENCE THAT’S GROSSLY UNRREPRENTED, BUT NOT MARGALIZG THEM. WE’VE TOUCHED ON MOST OF THE SECRETS TO EMPIRE’S SUCCS EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS THE BIGGT ONE: STRONG HIMSELF. HE’S AN ACTOR (HE’S APPEARED ON BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AND GIRLS) AND A PROLIFIC SCREENWRER. HE’S ALSO, AS MANY PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO POT OUT AND ARE SURPRISED BY, WHE.“MAYBE PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED,” HE NCES, ADDG THAT HE’S ROUTELY ASKED HOW HE’S ABLE TO WRE SO BELIEVABLY ABOUT THE WORLD OF HIP-HOP AND BLACK CULTURE. “THE REAL QUTN IS HOW N I WRE ANY WORLD?” HE SAYS. “EVERYTHG I WRE HAS NOTHG TO DO WH ME.”THAT’S A VERY SOLID POT. STRONG WROTE THE SCREENPLAYS FOR THE MOCKGJAY FILMS THAT NCLU THE HUNGER GAM ANCHISE, BUT ’S UNLIKELY THAT HE HAS MUCH EXPERIENCE A DYSTOPIAN WORLD ON THE BRK OF CIVIL WAR. AND HE WON AN EMMY FOR HIS WORK GETTG SI THE MD OF SARAH PAL, A WORLD THAT NO MAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO BELIEVABLY NAVIGATE.TO THAT REGARD, THERE’S AN ASTONISHG BREADTH AND DIVERSY WHEN YOU LOOK AT STRONG’S BODY OF WORK. THERE’S THE POLIL CIRC OF REUNT AND GAME CHANGE, THE ROG CIVIL RIGHTS WORK OF THE BUTLER, THE EXPLOSIVE WARRGS OF A HIP-HOP FAY EMPIRE, AND THE CSA OF YA HEROE KATNISS EVEREN ONE OF THE BIGGT BLOCKBTER ANCHIS GOG.“IF THERE’S ANY ONE WORD OR PHRASE YOU ULD E TO TIE THE THGS TOGETHER, I THK ’S THAT I’M JT ATTRACTED TO STORI THAT ARE EPIC,” HE SAYS. THE STAK ARE HIGH. THERE’S LARGER-THAN-LIFE SPE THAT HE MANAG TO RE BACK TO A VERY HUMAN STORY. “YOU LOOK AT SOMETHG LIKE EMPIRE,” HE SAYS. “IT’S A FAY BATTLE. I WANTED TO BE SHAKPEAREAN SPE. THOSE ARE THE STORI THAT APPEAL TO ME PERSONALLY.”AH, THE FAL SECRET: MAKE EPIC. IT’S CERTALY HARD TO REFUTE THAT. KEV FALLON

Those scen are jarrg and paful to watch — but also black culture, masculy often begs and ends wh heterosexualy, and homosexualy is often seen as a sful aberratn. For a show like “Empire” — whose st is black and will likely attract a predomantly black dience — to feature a gay man who isn’t a stereotype or ic relief is bold enough s own right. But seeg on a hip-hop show mak the show feel like a game ’s unlikely that there’s a sgle black gay man who won’t be able to intify wh Jamal, who’s portrayed by Jsie Smollett.