In only a few short months, the Fox television show Empire, created by openly gay producer and director Lee Daniels, has conquered the world. The story centering around a dying music mogul named Lucious Lyon played by Terrence Howard and his broken family has struck a chord with many viewers. The network has already announced renewal of the show for a second season.
Jussie Smollett plays Jamal Lyon, the gay middle son on the show. In the past, Smollett has appeared in movies such as The Mighty Ducks and the LGBT indie The Skinny. He confirmed recently that he is gay in his personal life in an interview with Ellen Degeneres.
Bryshere Y. Gray uses the stage name Yazz The Greatest while playing the part of Hakeem Lyon, the youngest son and rapper in the family. He opened for fellow lyric performers Fabolous and 2 Chains before landing the gig on Empire.
Smollett and Gray have been signed to Columbia Records as solo music acts. The soundtrack debuted at number one recently on the Billboard album chart, topping Madonna and making it the first TV soundtrack since Glee in 2010 to manage this feat.
Windy City Times, with a group of reporters, talked to the dynamic duo the day before the show's finale.
WCT: Hey, guys! I was an extra for the big white party scene that was filmed in Chicago.
Jussie Smollett: Yay!
Yazz: Alright! You were there for the moment.
WCT: The big coming-out moment, yes. I love that you are filming in Chicago but why is the story then set in New York?
Yazz: Lee told me, he said, "Chicago is best for you, Yazz. It's best for the cast because we want to be focused. It's going to be better than doing LA and recording in Philly. It's just going to be more easier for scheduling."
WCT: Jussie, do you want to be more involved with the LGBT community in Chicago next time you are in town? I know you do a lot of activist work.
Jussie: I work with tons of charities and we've been doing some stuff in Chicago, but we haven't had time in Chicago. I feel like with season two we'll have a lot more time to get into the community and really stomp for our fellow men and women.
WCT: Has this role influenced you as a gay activist?
Jussie: You have to realize that I'm 31 years old, so this life isn't new for me. Being an activist—a human-rights activist—has been something that I'm passionate about since day one. One of my godmothers is Angela Davis, so it's like my mom didn't even really give us a choice growing up. We had a choice what sports we played, in what music we listened to, and in the careers that we chose. We did not have a choice in being activists because that was the one thing that she said, "If you do nothing in your life, you've got to give back."
It's just who we are. It's literally like the thing that feeds me the most. If I didn't do it then I would feel empty. I talk to young LGBT youth and to young women with babies that have been raped or have suffered through domestic violence and have gotten out of it. That's what I do. So as far as has it changed me? No. It's just further cemented who I am in my own life and the work that I know that I'm put on this earth to do.
Yazz: To piggyback a little bit off what he said, I had a close friend get killed from violence in the streets. From 16 years old, I went out talking to the kids because that really touched me internally, that somebody that got killed was that close to me. My mom would pack up a Camry and drive to Michigan, use our own money, and we weren't really that fortunate, and we would go out to these schools and I would perform.
I would talk to the kids and give them a little bit of inspiration because I was really hurt from that situation and from there, I kind of built a fan base through talking to the kids and letting them know this is possible. I would tell them to follow their dreams.
WCT: Your character's lover on the show, Jussie, was thinking about leaving because of Lola, your daughter. It looks like things get hot and heavy between the two of you.
Jussie: Yeah, on top of Daddy's desk. Jamal is not done with Ryan yet. There's some loving involved and they're not done. It's not necessarily a huge storyline in the finale. Lola, my baby, is no longer living with me or living with the family, so I guess they can at least have sex.
WCT: There has been a lot of talk about Jussie's sexuality. Have you been asked the sexuality question before, Yazz?
Yazz: It was on some comedic type of blog but when you see me out with a beautiful young lady then you know what it is.
It's 2015. If you're that insecure about yourself that you can't love somebody for who they are, then you just need to just stay in the house and lock the door. I'm that type of person that doesn't care who you are. I love everybody and I feel like that's how the world should be.
Jussie: And that is why we love Yazz The Greatest!
WCT: How have fans been on the street?
Yazz: The fans are amazing. When we were in Chicago and everything started building up, we used to go to the gym and work out, people would go bananas. We can't go grocery-shopping no more. It's just pandemonium, but it's a dream come true. We're working with the greatest, Oscar-nominated actors and directors, so it's great.
Jussie: For me, it's been a really wonderful experience thus far. Everybody has been really supportive and loving. I just get the most beautiful letters from kids, both homosexual and heterosexual children, telling me that they relate to Jamal in so many ways. I feel like as an artist, we don't always get these types of roles to come along that really say something about what you care about. When they do, you jump at the chance.
I feel like we all, in our own individual ways, fought so hard for these roles because of what it meant and what it said. It's so entertaining, glamorous and fantastic, but it also is saying something about where our society is today and that means so much. When I get those letters, I'm a crying fool anyway, because I'm a Cancer, but it's just really, really emotional and I love it. It's been wonderful.
WCT: Are you happy how your characters ended up on the finale?
Jussie: I'm excited because there's so much more to come. The dope thing about season one is there are so many questions still to be answered. I feel like season one was the set-up and then season two will be, "Let's go back and let's clean up all of the Lyon's stuff." I'm very happy where Jamal's journey has taken him from beginning to now, and where it's going to end up going.
Yazz: We're excited about brother Andre, where he goes—he gets better and better. I feel like his story is real important and it grows and people can learn from his experiences.
WCT: How was it working with Snoop Dogg on the finale?
Yazz: It was great to work with Snoop. We had to prepare for our scene for like an hour in his trailer. It was good to vibe out with the legend Snoop Dogg and to get some jewels I can take into life and use and to apply them to my everyday life.
WCT: And Patti LaBelle?
Yazz: I thought Patti was going to bring me some chicken, man, but she didn't. I actually got the chance to talk to her backstage before she performed with Jussie and she's phenomenal. She's a great person. It was an honor to meet Miss Patti LaBelle.
WCT: Who would your dream guests be for season two?
Jussie: For me, it's Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Brandy. I really want them just because I want to sing with them.
Yazz: For me, it's Madonna, Queen Latifah and Rihanna.
Jussie: Good one, Yazz!
WCT: What's the timing on your individual albums and any chance of you two going out on a tour?
Jussie: As far as the albums, we are in the thick of promoting the Empire soundtrack right now. It's available for download and purchase on iTunes by the way. The album will have to be sometime next year because we do this promotional tour and then I'm going to be writing and recording. We go straight to filming season two come early summer, so there's not necessarily a lot of time.
As far as a tour, that'll probably also have to be next year. There will be little spot dates here and there that everybody can fit in. It's just our schedules are madness right now.
Yazz: To be honest, I am not focused on dropping an album. If it's in demand, then it will happen.
WCT: What's the one thing that you both want to take from the experience?
Yazz: There are many elements but I think, family. You got to talk to your family. You got to stay grounded. You need to pray a lot. You need to eat healthy.
Jussie: I think we both have additions to our families with the cast and crew, such incredible people.
I feel like what I've seen is the stereotypes that society tries to push down our throats actually are not real. That what we're seeing is we're seeing the very people that society wants us to believe would not accept someone like a Jamal, those are the very people that are coming up to me being like, "Brother, I love you. I respect you. Keep doing what you're doing."
I don't know if it's opened my eyes because I feel like my eyes saw that already, but I feel like what it did is that it killed that cycle that started to feed itself off of that. There are really genuine, good, honest, respectful, and loving people in the world. That's why I love the viewers so much, because that's what they show every single day.
WCT: Read the past interview with Trai Byers, who plays other brother Andre Lyon, at www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/NUNN-ON-ONE-TELEVISION-Trai-Byers-talks-about-Empire-and-the-film-Selma/50396.html .
