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Lee Daniels pushes through fear with shows ‘Empire,’ ‘Star’

FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, file photo, Lee Daniels, creator of the FOX series "Empire," poses for a portrait during the 2017 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Daniels says he becomes as scared as a “9-year-old child” with the worry of his work not living up to lofty expectations. He expects to experience the same anxiety before his shows "Empire" and "Star" premiere back-to-back Wednesday night, Sept. 27, on Fox. (Photo by Ron Eshel/Invision/AP, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, file photo, Lee Daniels, creator of the FOX series "Empire," poses for a portrait during the 2017 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Daniels says he becomes as scared as a “9-year-old child” with the worry of his work not living up to lofty expectations. He expects to experience the same anxiety before his shows "Empire" and "Star" premiere back-to-back Wednesday night, Sept. 27, on Fox. (Photo by Ron Eshel/Invision/AP, File)

By Associated Press September 26, 2017 1 min read

ATLANTA (AP) – Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels says he’s consumed by fear each time he films a new scene.

Daniels says he expects to experience the same anxiety before his shows “Empire” and “Star” premiere back-to-back Wednesday night starting at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox.

The two music dramas, co-created by Daniels, will combine their story lines in a two-hour separate episode season premiere with some characters from each show appearing in the other.

Daniels says he originally felt nervous after Fox executives approached him with the idea of doing the crossover of the shows, which both delve into the drama-filled environment of the music industry.

Daniels found success through films including “Monster’s Ball,” ”Precious” and “The Butler.”