NEW YORK (AP) – Jussie Smollett, one of the stars of Fox’s prime-time soap, “Empire,” says he counts his mom as one of the super fans of the series.
“She calls me every single Wednesday and I know that we have to stay on the phone at least for 30 minutes to an hour of just hearing her break down what (Taraji P. Henson’s character) Cookie did, what the brothers did, which song was her favorite, you know? So, yeah, it’s fun. It’s good fun,” said the actor at Monday’s premiere of the movie “Insurgent” in New York.
On “Empire,” Smollett plays Jamal Lyon, the middle son to a music mogul, played by Terrence Howard and his ex-wife, Cookie Lyon, who was recently released from prison after serving 17-years for dealing drugs.
Jamal’s an aspiring singer-songwriter who also happens to be gay, which his father can’t accept. He’s also the moral compass of the series.
The show has managed to climb in the ratings each week and will wrap up its 10-episode first season with a two-hour finale on Wednesday (at 8 p.m. EDT.)