Empire (FOX 2015, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson)

Empire, a sexy and powerful drama about the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne. Set to an original soundtrack written and produced by hip-hop hitmaker Timbaland, the family drama stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (Person of Interest).

From FOX’s press release, January 2016… FOX has renewed the blockbuster drama EMPIRE for a third season, it was announced today by Gary Newman and Dana Walden, Chairmen and CEOs, Fox Television Group. With 35 nominations, EMPIRE is the most-nominated television series this season, and recently was named a Top 10 Television Program of the Year by the American Film Institute.

It was the only broadcast series to earn a Golden Globe Award nomination this year in the category of Best Television Series: Drama. Additionally, Taraji P. Henson won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series: Drama. The series also earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Having taken TV audiences by storm in its record-setting first season, EMPIRE returned this season as the No. 1 series on broadcast television among Adults 18-49, averaging 7.3/23 in Live+7 ratings, and 21.2 million viewers across multiple platforms.

production details
USA | Fox – 20th Century Fox Television – Imagine Television – Lee Daniels Entertainment | 43 minutes | Broadcast 7 January 2015

Brian Grazer as Executive Producer
Danny Strong as Creator/Executive Producer
Francie Calfo as Executive Producer
Ilene Chaiken as Executive Producer
Lee Daniels as Creator/Executive Producer/Director of Pilot
Timothy Timbaland Mosley as producer

cast
Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon
Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon
Bryshere Y. Gray as Hakeem Lyon
Jussie Smollett as Jamal Lyon
Trai Byers as Andre Lyon
Ta’Rhonda Jones as Porsha
Grace Byers as Anika Gibbons
Serayah as Tiana Brown
Gabourey Sidibe as Becky
Xzibit as Shyne Johnson
Andre Royo as Thurston ‘Thirsy’ Rawlings
Rumer Willis as Tory Ash
Terrell Carter as Warren Hall
Damon Gupton as Detective Calvin Walker
Becky G as Valentina Galindo
David Darlow as Terry Schiller
Kelly Rowland as Leah Walker
Tasha Smith as Carol Hardaway
Alfre Woodard as Renee
A.Z. Kelsey as Jeff Kingsley
Nicole Ari Parker as Giselle Sims-Barker
Chet Hanks as Blake Sterling
Rhyon Nicole Brown as Maya
Marisa Tomei as Mimi Whiteman
Raven-Symoné as Olivia
Malik Yoba as Vernon Turner
Naomi Campbell as Camilla Marks
Forest Whitaker as Eddie Barker
Chris Rock as Frank Gathers