Lee Daniels Says Working on ‘Empire’ Was “Absolutely the Worst Experience”

Lee Daniels says working as the co-creator of Fox’s hit series Empire was “absolutely the worst experience.”

Andra Day Almost Turned Down the Lead Role in 'The Deliverance.' This Is What Changed Her Mind

In a new interview with The Film Stage , the filmmaker said he dislikes “staying in the same lane just as a creative.” Looking back at his time working on Empire , he recalled being intrigued by being required to “to be able to answer to suits,” as he “wanted to know what that experience was like.”

“All my friends, they get notes and shit,” he explained. “And I’m like, ‘What is that like?!’ You know what I mean? Because every film of mine had been independent. All my shit is independent. You know, my first movie was developed with drug money. Monster’s Ball . We won the first Black woman an Oscar. Every one of my films has been independently financed where I’m able to … do my thing and nobody is in my head.”

He continued, “There’s so many filmmakers and writers that I respect that have to answer to people. So I only did Empire just so I could see what that experience was like.” When asked what the experience was actually like, he admitted, “Horrible! Absolutely the worst experience.”

However, Daniels did see a silver lining in making the series: “Fucking that money, money, money!” he said. “I was able to put my kids through college and shit. So that in itself was worth it.”

Elsewhere in the interview, he confessed, “I didn’t understand what we were doing when I made Empire . I really didn’t. I was too busy about Cookie’s hat and the music hat I was trying to get to realize that I was shifting, literally, the culture.”

Lee Daniels Talks Repairing His Relationship With Mo'Nique and Casting Her in 'The Deliverance'

He acknowledged, however, that there “wouldn’t have been a Black Panther , that there wouldn’t have been an Insecure . There wouldn’t have been a Black-ish ” without Empire . “All of that shit happened because I did what I did. I was bold enough to say I don’t give a fuck about these notes that they’re giving me. I’m going to fucking do what I want to do because I don’t need you,” said Daniels.

Daniels recently brought up Empire when discussing his upcoming film The Deliverance with The Hollywood Reporter , saying he was inspired to do the Netflix horror film to “get reconnected to my higher power.”

“I’m always a little ahead of the curve, I think, when it comes to where we are and why I do my projects. It’s always because it’s something in the ether,” he continued. “I remember with Empire , it was like, ‘I’m tired of Black men and women making fun of me because I’m gay. I need to change that.’ And now, look at us.”

While creating Empire wasn’t the experience Daniels was hoping it would be, the series was a massive success for the director, receiving 8 Emmy nominations and becoming one of the highest-rated Fox shows. Empire ultimately ended in 2020 after six seasons.

'The Deliverance' Review: Andra Day and Glenn Close Work Hard but Can't Salvage Lee Daniels' Erratic Spiritual Horror