Emmys 2015: 'Empire' Creator Lee Daniels Slams Series Snub
"Empire" star Taraji P. Henson may have made some Emmy history with her nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but the show's creator isn't too happy about its lack of other nods.
In an expletive-accentuated Instagram video post, "Empire" co-creator Lee Daniels expressed his disappointment over the show failing to score a Best Drama nomination, or any other major nominations outside of Henson's. "Empire" received just three nods overall, including two for costume design.
The video features Daniels and star Jussie Smollett, who appear to just be joking around, as Daniels explains, "Jussie's saying I have to be politically correct on Instagram." Smollett chuckles uncomfortably, and urges Daniels to "be nice" before Daniels suddenly shouts "F--k these motherf--kers!" and breaks into a huge laugh. He captioned the post with the hashtags, "#canfinallypostthis #timetoberealagain #emmyniceguyoverwith."
It's understandable that Daniels is upset, considering that "Empire" was the biggest hit of the television season and a ratings and cultural juggernaut. As Variety reports, Fox spent a lot of time and money campaigning for Emmys for the series; for it to wind up with only one high-profile nomination to show for its efforts is probably a pretty big disappointment for everyone involved. (The fact that it didn't score any music nominations is also a head-scratcher.)
Still, it's encouraging that Henson snatched a coveted nod, and Daniels and co. should at least find some comfort in that. As Cookie says, "I'm here to get what's mine." We'll see if she walks away with a statuette on Emmy Sunday.
[via: Lee Daniels, h/t Variety]
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