‘Empire’ season 2: On the stunt-casting debate
Let’s face it: At the moment, almost everyone wants to be a part of Fox’s hit show “Empire.” Can you really blame them? This is a series with atmospheric ratings and awards-show buzz, so it’s not shocking to see people like Lenny Kravitz and Chris Rock signing up for guest appearances on the upcoming second season. Meanwhile, we’ve heard rumors about everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Denzel Washington appearing, as well.
While having all of these big names floating out there, this does not mean that the show is going to start becoming the live-action version of “The Simpsons” and throwing in random stars whenever they can to get attention. Ultimately, this is a show that wants to serve its story first and foremost. Speaking per The Hollywood Reporter at the ATX Television Festival this weekend, executive producer Danny Strong acknowledged that he is often at odds with people who want to try and just cast big names on the show:
“I don’t think we need to stunt-cast as much but there’s pressure to … I want to hire people who need the job [and not just a celebrity for whom] this is some fun thing they do for pocket change. … Then there are other people who like doing stunt-casting. I wouldn’t say it’s a source of tension but it’s a source of disagreement.”
We feel like balance is the name of the game. If you have someone like Rock who plays an important role in the story and is not just there so that everyone goes “hey, it Chris Rock,” then it is worthwhile. Otherwise, not so much.
Strong also disagreed heavily with star Terence Howard’s recent assessment that the show should use the n-word, commenting that this is on network TV and the notion is to get people invested to such an extent that profanity is not something particularly on their mind.
If you do want to see a fun video featuring Terence and Taraji P. Henson right now, head over to the link here. Meanwhile, sign up if you are interested in gathering some other TV scoop via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)