EMPIRE
DRAMA / MUSIC
USA
2015-2020
EMPIRE is an American musical-drama television series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong for Fox. It is a joint production of Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television and syndicated by 20th Television. Although it was filmed in Chicago, the show is set in New York. EMPIRE consists of 103 episodes of 42 minutes.
STORY: The series revolves around the fictional hip-hop music and entertainment company Empire Entertainment and the problems of the founders' family as they struggle to control the company.
GAY COUPLE STORYLINE: The middle son of the Lyon family is a talented gay singer-songwriter who despises the business aspect of the music industry. Jamal (Jussie Smolett) is estranged from his father, who considers him the black sheep of the family. Jamal is a favorite of Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and has a strong bond with his brother Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray). After being accidentally shot by Freda Gatz (Bre-Z)Jamal begins to show symptoms of PTSD and is dependent on painkillers. Michael Sanchez (Raphael de la Fuente) is a recurring character in Empire. He is Jamal's boyfriend until Our Dancing Days, where they broke up. After Michael moved and claimed that Jamal had no space in his life for him because of his career and Lola. In season two, the two seem to be back together.
Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett) & Michael Sanchez (Rafael de la Fuente)
JUSSIE SMOLLETT (2015-2019) June 21, 1982, Santa Rosa, CA, USA
RAPHAEL DE LA FUENTE (2015-2016) November 11, 1986, Caracas, Venezuela
SPECIAL: Smollet's character was removed from the last two episodes of the fifth season after Smollett was charged with committing an assault on himself. Smollett's character will not return for the sixth and final season, but Jamal is mentioned. Jamal and his new husband Kai have moved to London and are adopting a son. The option in Smollett's contract for the sixth season was nevertheless kept open.
AWARDS: ‘EMPIRE’ won 8 Primetime Emmys. 30 wins & 106 nominations
7.4 IMDB
