Power Issue: Empire Soars to the Top of the TV Charts

There’s epic. Then there’s Empire epic. Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollett—the three megawatt stars of the blockbuster Fox series—enter the show’s bustling soundstage in Chicago and are soon surrounded by over 200 extras, each dressed to the tens, for a blowout concert that will air during the December 2 midseason finale. Executive producer Sanaa Hamri, directing this three-ring-circus of an episode, calls for action, and suddenly Serayah McNeill, who plays Rihanna-esque hip-hop star Tiana, is blazing through the crowd. She is accompanied by a bevy of bubble-butted boys on hoverboards as she performs a raucous, sex-charged number called “Do Somethin’ Wit It.” But this is just the evening’s appetizer. Moments later, the waters part and in comes Alicia Keys.

What’s at stake here? Everything. After all, it’s Empire! This glittery affair, which has drawn the power people of the music industry, is being live-streamed to promote the American Sound Awards—the show’s fictional mash-up of the Grammys and American Music Awards—that has both factions of the Lyon clan desperate for nominations.

“Just like with any of their family gatherings—whether it’s a dinner, a party or a performance—the Lyons are going to find a way to take something really beautiful and f— it up,” says Smollett, who plays middle son Jamal. “It’s what they do best.”

Howard’s character, Lucious Lyon, the megalomaniacal overlord of Empire Entertainment, is obsessed with winning the ASA for Song of the Year. “It has taken on an outsize importance for him,” says executive producer Ilene Chaiken. “It’s about much more than record sales and the devotion of millions. It’s a symbol of greatness for a man who is wont to say things like, ‘I am more powerful than God.’ Lucious wants that award more than life itself.” Mostly because he’s never been nominated for it.

“Lucious has won everything in life but that top prize, and that’s a real sore point with him,” Howard says. “He’s not interested in Best R&B Song. That category, he says, ‘was invented to placate black people.’ He thinks Song of the Year is the only ASA with real prestige.” And woe to anyone who gets in his way this year, including Jamal, who is also a likely contender in the category.

“This is the cutthroat truth about the music industry,” says Hamri, who has directed widely acclaimed videos for Prince, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. “Lucious, like a lot of people in the record business, is all about trumping everyone else. He’s not looking at the bigger picture—what’s best for Jamal, for his family, for Empire Entertainment. It’s all about him. And it will get crazy.”

Meanwhile, Lucious’s ex-wife, Cookie, played by Henson, needs some ASA love to help put her rival startup company, Lyon Dynasty, on the map, and she’s praying that her son Hakeem (Bryshere Gray) gets a nod as Rapper of the Year. “It would mean so much to Cookie’s label,” Henson says. “But Lucious is such a bully. He’ll probably find a way to fix the voting.” (For more on the Cookie-Lucious rivalry, see page 24.)

The situation has been hell on Hakeem. “Not only is it him and Cookie versus Lucious and Jamal—with Andre [the eldest Lyon son, played by Trai Byers] working both sides—but Hakeem is starting to realize he has mental problems,” Gray says. “He’s depressed. He sees that having a company is not what it’s cooked up to be, and it’s really messing with him. A while ago he was kidnapped. Now he’s feeling emotionally kidnapped.”

But let’s get back to Alicia Keys. The Grammy-winning superstar is playing four-time ASA winner Skye Summers, who hits the stage with Jamal to knock out “Powerful,” a Black Lives Matter über-ballad (cowritten by Smollett) with lyrics ripped from the headlines. It is gloriously performed, and the audience is ecstatic.

Then things go south. The host of the concert, radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, walks out, momentarily fawns over the duo and then rips into the biracial Skye, accusing her of playing up her blackness when it’s professionally convenient. Skye is stunned, confused and devastated by the public humiliation. Clearly, this is going to be a nightmare on Black Twitter.

“This is an issue I’ve been desperate to explore,” says Empire cocreator Lee Daniels. “I don’t want to drop names, but I will. I have a lot of biracial friends—Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and Halle Berry among them—who feel [as if they’re] in a race of their own. For them, it’s always a question of ‘How do I identify? As black? As white?’ And a lot of black people have a big problem with that. But who are we to judge how a person of mixed race should identify?” That message, Daniels adds, “is what Empire is all about. It doesn’t f—ing matter what color you identify with or what sex you’re sleeping with. We’re here to break down barriers.”

Smollett is doing just that during a break in filming, as he greets several African-American state legislators who have come to the set with their very excited families. The actor, who came out as gay in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres last March, later relays how he was blown away by the visitors. “One person told me, ‘My son is 14 and gay, and he came out to me because of you,’” says Smollett. “Another said, ‘My daughter just came out yesterday. She told me it was because of you.’ And a third said, ‘My brother came out to me while we were watching Empire.’”

Such encounters are common these days for the 32-year-old star. “This show is so much bigger than the ratings or the music or the fun factor,” Smollett says. “We hold a mirror up to each viewer and say, ‘Look at yourself. Which character are you most like?’ And,” he adds with a laugh, “if you’re most like Lucious, you should probably check yourself, boo. You might wanna do some work.”

Hey, let’s not pass over those Nielsens so easily! Season 1 of Empire broke TV records we didn’t know existed, debuting last January as the highest-rated freshman series in 10 years and boasting an episode average of 17.3 million viewers. Among broadcast series, it’s No. 1 with adults 18–49 and No. 1 in all of television with African-American adults 18–49. Cooler still, it is the only series since the advent of the current ratings system to grow its viewership every single week in its first season. Based on tweets per episode, Empire is also the largest social-media draw among all series—broadcast and cable. Though ratings have leveled off in Season 2, the show is still a colossus, one with a profound effect on how pilots are now being cast.

“Everyone is looking for diversity thanks to us,” says Henson, “but I hope they don’t miss what’s really going on here. The work on Empire is incredible. Being black is not the trick! My hope is that Hollywood can get deeper in its thinking and not just throw a bunch of black people on TV because they know it’ll make money.”

Her boss seconds that emotion. “The danger now is that a lot of shows will become cookie-cutter—pardon the pun—versions of Empire,” says Daniels. “As a man of color, nothing makes me happier than to help change the way TV is made. But this isn’t a ‘black show.’ It’s a show about extremely relatable human beings. Many people in this business still don’t get that.”

Empire airs Wednesdays, 9/8c, Fox

TV’s Kick-Ass Women: The Leading Ladies of Blindspot, Limitless, Quantico and Supergirl

Who doesn’t love a wonder woman? “She saved the world. A lot,” a premature Buffy the Vampire Slayer tombstone once read, and the stakes are just as high for this season’s dynamic wave of fearless femmes fatales. Flying high and taking aim, they uphold a proud TV tradition of subverting gender expectations. Cross these damsels, and you’ll know distress.

Here are highlights from our latest issue, celebrating TV’s new kick-ass women:

Blindspot’s Jaimie Alexander, on her character, tattooed amnesiac (turned badass FBI operative) Jane Doe: “I’ve waited a long time for a role like this. For my particular skill set—meaning the physicality and then the emotional roller coaster these characters go on—there were no parts for me… I want to show that this [type of role] can be done with a female and that I can be equally captivating. I bust my ass every day to make sure that is on point.”

Limitless’ Jennifer Carpenter, on her character, FBI agent (and partner to drug-enhanced supergenius Brian Finch) Rebecca Harris: “A common mistake in television is that people who chase criminals always act like they’re gonna die if they don’t catch them. Sure, it’s disappointing if you don’t, but here’s the reality: Law enforcers like Rebecca go home at night and become somebody’s wife or mother, lover or friend. She’s not ruined by ambition. Competition can kill a person just as easily as a criminal can.”

Quantico’s Priyanka Chopra, on her character, FBI trainee (and suspected terrorist) Alex Parrish: “I’m a machine! I can make four movies a year. I like to work extra hard because I do love my job. To me, Quantico seems like a really long movie. The difference is that in features we do maybe two scenes a day, and now I’m doing nine! … [on the intense fight scenes]: I really enjoy it. I think God originally intended to make me a boy. I enjoy doing lots of things typically meant for a man.”

Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist, on her character, the last daughter of Krypton (and you-know-who’s cousin), Kara Danvers, aka Supergirl: “She is a beacon of hope and stands for what’s good. She truly believes in doing what’s right and helping people. And yeah, it is extremely important that she’s a female, but you’re not going to remember her for that. You’re going to remember her for her bravery and how awesome she is. I hope people are in awe of her.”

Girl Power: TV’s Newest Hero Takes Flight in Supergirl

Even for Supergirl, time flies when you’re having fun.

“It’s crazy. I went in for this the day after Halloween last year,” a smiling Melissa Benoist recalls of her audition for Supergirl, CBS’s bright new superhero show about the Man of Steel’s equally fortified cousin. “I thought there was no chance—I had brown hair,” and the DC Comics character is well known for her blonde locks. “I’m just a weird girl, and I think they liked that.”

It’s impossible not to like Benoist. Sitting outside her trailer on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, while she plays with her dog, Farley, the newly blonded 27-year-old Littleton, Colorado, native is as effortlessly attractive as she is approachable. Her down-to-earth vibe is refreshing and a tad startling, given her high-profile gig on one of this season’s biggest gambles. After all, Supergirl—which finally takes off on October 26—is the first comic book–based, female-driven superhero drama on television since The WB’s short-lived Birds of Prey in 2002; the character’s 1984 big-screen debut was a dud; and it’s not airing on The CW, home to DC Comics’ current TV crown jewels, Arrow and The Flash.

Thankfully, the superfriends behind those heroic hits are the ones bringing Benoist’s Kara Zor-El, last daughter of Krypton, to the airwaves. Indeed, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. knew exactly who to ask about adapting another icon. “One of the executives mentioned the character of Supergirl,” says Greg Berlanti, teaming again with his Flash and Arrow executive producers Andrew Kreisberg and Sarah Schechter, along with Glee’s Ali Adler, one of his cohorts on the relatives-with-powers dramedy No Ordinary Family. “[But] they saw the show more as her without a cape, a teenage-girl-growing-up-on-a-farm kind of thing.” Not interested in doing Smallville: The Training-Bra Years, Berlanti and Co. pitched a more adult origin story with “the same size and scope as The Flash and Arrow but with its own adult identity. CBS loved it, and we got a show!”

Introduced in a 1959 issue of Action Comics, Kara has a backstory similar to her more famous kin. “She was 12 years old when Krypton was destroyed, and she escaped the destruction at the same time as her infant cousin,” Benoist explains. In the Supergirl premiere, she is sent to Earth by her parents, Zor-El (Robert Gant) and Alura (Laura Benanti), to watch over baby Kal-El, “but she gets stuck in space for a long time, and when she gets to Earth, he’s already matured. So she makes this decision that since Earth already has a hero, she doesn’t need to use her powers.”

Instead, Kara blends in as the adopted daughter of the Danvers (in a fun nod to the mythos, they are played by big-screen Supergirl Helen Slater and Lois & Clark’s Dean Cain), a family of scientists in the fictional and very Los Angeles–like National City. With a protective adoptive sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh), and the kind of glasses that have been known to hide secret identities, the Kara we meet in the pilot has grown up to become a sweetly nerdy assistant to media maven Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) with undeveloped powers and no clue that her CatCo colleague Winn (Jeremy Jordan) has it bad for her.

Of course, even superheroes in denial can’t sit still when a plane carrying a loved one is about to go down, so before you can say, “It’s a bird…,” Kara takes to the friendly skies to rescue Alex. In the process, she attracts all sorts of attention—most notably from Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), head of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, a shadowy government organization, and one James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), who has been deployed from Metropolis by Supes himself to play Obi-Wan to the fledgling hero.

Not that she needs a man to save the day. Or a Superman. While plenty of DC characters, like Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan-Tatum), Red Tornado (Iddo Goldberg), Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) and Kryptonian villain Non (Chris Vance), are set to appear, the oft-mentioned boy scout in the sky is most definitely not one of them. “I compare him to Veep’s [unseen] president,” Berlanti jokes. “He is out there and Metropolis exists, but hopefully, people watching the series will quickly go, ‘We don’t even need him!’”

All Supergirl really needs is for viewers to see past the whole “girl” part. “Ultimately, what we want to do is appeal to everyone,” Schechter offers. “The notion that guys won’t watch girls has been completely destroyed by things like Frozen and Mad Max: Fury Road. For us, this is just a show about an incredibly interesting character going through something exceptional.”

Adler echoes that equal-rights-for-equal-flights sentiment. “The Supergirl property is the gold standard for female superheroes, but in watching the action and what Kara comes up against emotionally, you go in seeing a female superhero and you come out seeing a powerful superhero. Her gender doesn’t really matter. Ultimately, it’s just about this triumphant person.”

What did matter, however, was finding an ingenue capable of convincingly rocking a caped ensemble designed by Oscar winner Colleen Atwood (who also created the looks Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin sport on Arrow and The Flash), battling an array of aliens-of-the-week unleashed by Kara’s arrival on Earth and balancing comedy, drama, action and adorableness. For that magic combo, the producers turned to the unsung hero of DC Comics’ growing TV dynasty, casting director David Rapaport.

“We saw thousands of people, but I will say that all credit goes to David,” Schechter says of the man we have to thank for stocking The CW’s hero brigade. “He had a really good feeling about Melissa, just like he had a really good feeling about Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin.” And just like those two, Benoist—best known for her role as Glee’s sweet, shy Marley Rose—was the first to read for the role. “David actually made Melissa come back early from a trip and signed her in himself so she would be first because he knew that Greg is a little bit superstitious,” Schechter says.

“She is the female Grant,” Kreisberg adds. “Watching them on set, it’s not just the talent or how they inhabit the part; it’s their joy and enthusiasm that they get to do this, which is in a way who these characters are.”

Walking back into the soundstage to film the first scene with Jordan, Brooks and Leigh in what will become Team Supergirl’s secret CatCo control room, Benoist still seems genuinely astonished that she gets to do this for a living. “I love Kara,” she says, exuding the same sunny determination as the character. “She truly believes that she’s going to change and save the world. And I think she’s going to do it.”

Attagirl!

Supergirl premieres Monday, Oct. 26, 8:30/7:30c, CBS, then moves to Mondays, 8/7c, starting Nov. 2.

DiNozzo Goes West: NCIS’s Michael Weatherly Crosses Over to Los Angeles

It’s 8:35am in Los Angeles and Michael Weatherly is on the road in hot pursuit of a small sedan. The actor’s nearly 2-year-old son, Liam, has lost a toy car in the backseat, and Daddy has dutifully pulled over to find it—getting to preschool by nine, be damned! And now Liam has accidentally hit himself in the face. “Hold a diaper on it,” Weatherly advises, eliciting a fit of giggles from the toddler. “This is the full Michael Weatherly experience,” one of TV’s highest-paid stars jokes, “Now let’s talk about my experience guest starring on NCIS: Los Angeles.”

OK, let’s. Since 2003, Weatherly has played Naval Criminal Investigative Service Agent Anthony DiNozzo, a bighearted ladies’ man, brass-balled quipster and excellent dresser, on four different shows. It all began with the two-part episode of CBS’s JAG that spun off into NCIS (TV’s top-rated drama series for the last six years). In 2014, he briefly appeared on the second installment of the franchise’s newest offshoot, NCIS: New Orleans (almost entirely in a hazmat suit). Yet, it’s taken seven seasons for him to cross over to NCIS: Los Angeles. “We’ve been trying for years to find a way to get DiNozzo on the show that’s not just a cameo,” NCIS: L.A. executive producer Shane Brennan says. “We wanted Tony to really be part of the story.”

They finally figured it out. On the October 19 episode of NCIS: L.A. (10/9c, CBS), Tony hits up the West Coast bureau for help in finding an escaped money launderer (comedian Bobby Lee) running amok in the city. And, lucky for him, special agents Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Sam (LL Cool J) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah); LAPD detective Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen); tech geeks Eric (Barrett Foa) and Nell (Renée Felice Smith); and their bosses, Hetty (Linda Hunt) and Granger (Miguel Ferrer), are up for it. But Tony spends more time working with new lovers—and audience favorites—Kensi and Deeks than with anyone else.

Should Densi fans feel threatened? “DiNozzo obviously flirts with Kensi,” explains Olsen. “But he’s also kind of flirting and being competitive with Deeks, who reciprocates that flirtation and competitiveness. It’s a bizarre yet classic love triangle that’s wonderfully appropriate because Michael Weatherly is my man crush.” Speaking of man crushes, “Whether working with Michael or just hanging out with him, it’s always a great experience,” gushes LL Cool J. “He’s a funny, talented guy. That’s the homie!”

And he hasn’t even seen him with a baby. Back in the car, Liam’s toy turns up wedged between the boy and his seat—leaving Weatherly, 47, free to chat about the episode (titled “Blame It on Rio”), his time on set and what’s in store for Tony.

What’s your favorite crossover episode to date?
Dare I say that my favorite crossover episode hasn’t aired yet, and it’s called “Blame It on Rio”? [Laughs] Seriously, my favorite isn’t technically a crossover. Tom Selleck once played a very Magnum-like private detective on a few episodes of The Rockford Files. He magically knows where everything is and would just get lucky as a detective all the time. Jim Rockford [James Garner] just hated him because he was so perfect.

Do you like shooting crossovers?
They’re a peak experience for someone like me. For 13 years, besides a tiny part here and there, I’ve just been playing DiNozzo. So having other experiences with the character is super important to me. Plus, I love to see how DiNozzo travels, how he’ll be in different settings. On NCIS, he can only do so much.

What was it like to be on another set?
To be honest, I was a little nervous about going into NCIS: Los Angeles because I wasn’t sure how DiNozzo would be received—not just by the team, but by the audience. Would he mesh with them? Look, I’m the same age as LL Cool J and I think we were the oldest guys on set next to Miguel Ferrer! But that’s the funny thing. Rather than having to play a faux youth like on NCIS, I was playing a little creaky on NCIS: L.A. And I enjoyed that Eric and Daniela were all really athletic and beautiful around me. [Laughs] It was just really refreshing. I felt like “Oh, s–t, am I aging out of the game?” Which I realized is totally a DiNozzo paranoia.

What was one of your favorite things about filming the episode?
I got to work with Eric and Daniela, two people I’ve really only seen on the red carpet or watched on TV. I just had so much fun with them. They are so loose. They gel really wonderfully as a cast, and the environment is fun. Would I ever return to visit them again? Absolutely.

What’s the biggest difference between the two sets?
They’re in L.A. shooting L.A., while we’re in L.A. shooting D.C. We always have to hide the palm trees, and they are always looking to put the palm trees in the shot. I definitely had a very good time shooting L.A. for L.A.

Doesn’t DiNozzo stick out?
Oh, yeah. I’m still dressed the way DiNozzo dresses when he’s in D.C. A coat and tie—DiNozzo is a little faux GQ—seems a little more normal to East Coasters. In Los Angeles, he looks totally out of place. No one is wearing a collar on NCIS: L.A. They’re all in T-shirts or muscle shirts. [Laughs] It’s really fun to see him as a fish out of water—but one who’s swimming with very like-minded people.

It’s a bit surprising, actually, that he would let the L.A. team take the reins on the case.
Dennis Smith, who directed the episode and has done 60 episodes of NCIS, always reminds me that DiNozzo has to be two things simultaneously. On the one hand, he’s always thinking outside the box and being hilarious…to himself. But he’s also a great agent. Part of that is understanding that the other agents know the terrain. DiNozzo works smarter, not harder.

Have you ever thought about making a DiNozzo-centered spinoff?
Yes. I’ve thought about it, because it seems only natural considering the growth of the character. That could be a possible scenario in the distant future.

According to executive producer Gary Glasberg, Tony is going to have a really emotional year.
There’s somebody returning from his past. And this person is a lightning rod for DiNozzo. Their return activates a very big change in him.

Could it be Jeanne Benoit (Scottie Thompson)? Or Ziva (Cote de Pablo)?
I don’t know if he’s ready for Ziva! This person is an agent of change, but not an agent. And the truth of the matter is that the show was devised so that all these characters are married to their job. DiNozzo has struggled over the years to try to mature and share his life with somebody else. And now his life is shifting because Jeanne is back. It’s really a case of: Has the plant gotten too big for the pot? Is it time to repot DiNozzo? That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to go to NCIS: L.A.

Wait, does this “change” mean we can look forward to some baby DiNozzos?
[Laughs] Look, we tease a lot of things, but I can say with a hundred percent certainty that some minds are going to be blown by what happens, and it’s going to affect some of the fundamental aspects of the show. That’s going to be fascinating to watch. This isn’t some fake press release advertising “a year of change.” This is truly going to be a challenge for the audience. But right now I can’t find my son’s other shoe!