Empire producer Lee Daniels spoke with Don Lemon about how he "hates using the race card", Mo'Nique's reverse racism & why he prays for Bill Cosby.
On how "reverse racism" played a role in Mo'Nique's blackballing:"She was making unreasonable demands, and she wasn’t thinking - this is when reverse racism I think happens. I told her you have to thank the producers of the film, you have to thank the studio. And I think she didn’t understand that, and I said people aren’t going to respond well if you don’t."
On how he prays for his idol Bill Cosby:“He is one of the reasons that I am here today. It is very, very hard, and what bothers me most is if there is an iota of truth to this… the one person of color that means the most to me is pulled down. If he is guilty, it says that we are human, which is what I like to examine with every character that I breathe life to. We are not black, it is not white - it's gray. We are all complicated, and we all like to point fingers and drag people down and drag people through the mud when stuff ain't right. What's fascinating is it's not going to change. I pray for him. I pray for him. I'm sad. I am wrecked by it, I am gutted by it. He's a man. And the victims, you know?"
On why he doesn't like using the race card:"This is not just ‘show’. It’s ‘show business. And you’ve gotta play ball, and you can’t scream - I don’t like calling the race card. I don’t believe in it. If I buy into it, it becomes real. If I knew what I knew when I was 21, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now."
After Don Lemon asks him if he's a sellout, Lee Daniels admits he might be:“Well, I guess I’m a sellout. But I’m not going to not work, and I’m not going to not tell my truth. And I’m not going to call people out on their bull. So whatever that means, sell out. I’ll see you in the theaters.”
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