ABC/Lorenzo Bevilaqua(NEW YORK) — Empire and Star creator Lee Daniels has two primetime hit TV shows on his hands. And as they both prepare to return tonight, he’s sharing some very specific goals this season for each of them.
After bringing on an impressive list of guests like Mariah Carey, Eva Longoria, and Nia Long, Daniels says this season, he’ll be listening to the fans and returning Empire to what it’s main focus should be: the Lyon family.
“You always want to make it better. As a filmmaker, as a creator, as an art — you always want to make it better,” Daniels tells ABC Radio. “So I thought by bringing in like a lot of guest stars or like to get more noise or whatever…. but I had forgotten that the fans had made it very clear, that they just wanted to know about the family.”
While Daniels is focusing on the Lyon family — played by Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Y. Gray, Jussie Smollett and Trai Byers — he also has a fearless agenda for his Empire follow-up, Star. He says he’s prepared to tackle some timely issues on the show.
“I have to keep pushing boundaries and I got to keep not being afraid,” Daniels says of the drama’s sophomore season. “Because when fear overtakes you, you’re not telling America what they want to hear. It’s so easy to live in fear and to deny stuff that is going on right now. You can easily say, ‘Stick your head in the sand.'”
The fourth season of Empire returns tonight at 8:00 ET, followed by Star at 9:00 ET on Fox.
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