Dynasty debut

In her first major TV role, Grace Gealey (pictured, right) looks like she is on the edge of a catfight.

As ‘Anika’, partner to Empire‘s ‘Lucious’ (Terrence Howard) she is diametrically opposed to his ex-wife Cookie (pictured, left) played by Taraji P. Henson. But things are not that simple.

“There’s always subtext in those moments when things are hairy and a bit sticky. But it’s very clear what we’re at odds about. There’s been no clarification from either side. (Cookie) just shows up and there’s not even an introduction. So we’re both like, ‘What are you doing here?’” she told TV Tonight.

“We both feel like the other one doesn’t have the right to be there.

“But we have the right to be there because of what we’ve sacrificed for the company. There have been two different experiences but it hasn’t been explained to the other party and that’s why we’re at odds.

“It’s the Luscious factor….”

Empire, in which Luscious is the dying patriarch of a family music company, has been a big success in the US, increasing its audience on every single episode.

Gealey, 30, trained in Theater Arts at the University of South Florida and has landed a huge network hit for her first major TV role.

Empire comes with formidable DNA: it was created by Lee Daniels (Monster’s Ball, Precious, The Butler) and Danny Strong (Recount, Game Change, Mockingjay) with music produced by Timbaland. Its mix of hip hop music and prime time soap has struck a chord.

“Danny had this idea of a hip hop dynasty meets King Lear kind of thing and he brought it to Lee saying, ‘I think I want to make a movie.’ But Lee said ‘This isn’t a movie, this is a TV show,'” she explains.

“So it was Daniel’s debut into television too and everything just started to fall into place.

“It’s such an amazing group of people to build exactly what people are flocking to right now. So it’s a testament to how wonderful they are.”

So which is more central to the show’s success? The high-stakes drama, the music or the performances?

“It’s everything. We live in an instant gratification world, so to keep the appetite whetted and keep everybody tuned in you have to come hard with everything that will tantalise all the senses as much as you can. It’s the music, the things that we are talking about, the fact that it’s bold and risky –all these characters are living out the fantasies we wish we could live,” says Gealey.

“Everybody wants to walk into a room like Cookie does and tell everybody (where to go). Everybody wants to be a multi-millionaire and not have to worry about the next meal or pay cheque. Everybody wants to be the leader or be walking in 3 piece suits and have the power that they have on the show.

“I think it’s a combination of all of those things.”

Empire also challenges conventions, notably with Jamal’s (Jussie Smollett) storyline as the black sheep of the family, struggling to have his sexuality accepted by his homophobic father.

“It’s amazing that people who Lee knows or he has come across who think that this is his own life. But he doesn’t shy away from telling people that what you saw in the first episode –that heartbreaking moment when the son comes down the stairs- and everything that happens between Luscious and his son… actually happened to Lee,” she continues.

“So a lot of it is based his experiences.

“It’s challenging stereotypes but also offering up assumptions, judgements and generalisations that a lot of people have in the world. ‘This is what you thought it was,’ but we’re smashing those stereotypes.”

Anika is also Empire‘s own Artist and Repertoire (A&R) manager, which sees her collide with the fiery Cookie. But in researching the role, Gealey was struck by the male dominance in the music industry.

“I realised that in all of the documentaries and articles (I studied) they were all men. There were no women. And as a woman in the world today I’m sure things would be different when she is head and dealing with other people in a male-dominated environment. So how does that change her demeanour?”

Thankfully she found one actual female A&R hip hop label manager, whose insights gave Gealey some extra dimensions to play with.

“We spoke for an hour and a half and it was amazing. I was asking ‘Am I crazy or do men run the show?’ And she was like, ‘You’re not crazy. There are very few women in this position and it absolutely changes the way you show up in this world.’

“So to get that essence from her was such a useful thing.”

Empire, which includes appearances by Gabourey Sidibe, Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Gladys Knight, Judd Nelson and Cuba Gooding Jr., has already been approved for a second season with songs rocketing up the iTunes charts. Not a bad place to launch a TV career, really.

“Not too shabby, right? I’m really honoured and super humble about it. Very grateful.”

Empire airs 9pm Sunday on TEN.