Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 10 december 2016
Cue the music, cue the drama! Lee Daniels introduces ‘Star’

FRAZIER MOORE to the lure of stardom on
AP Television Writer an ambitious singing trio,
NEW YORK (AP) — The title and, more specifically, to
of Lee Daniels’ latest ven- the fiery young woman
ture, “Star,” might very well calling the shots. Her name
identify this celebrated happens to be Star.
producer-director-writer. Star is played by Jude De-
His films include “Monster’s morest, who joins real-life
Ball,” ‘’Precious” and “The fellow newcomers Brittany
Butler,” while two seasons O’Grady (as Star’s sister
ago he roared into series Simone) and Ryan Destiny
TV with Fox’s smash music (as Alexandra) in portray-
drama “Empire.” ing this defiant threesome
But “Star,” a sort of “Em- out to beat the odds in the
pire” encore, refers instead show-biz sweepstakes and

This image released by Fox shows Jude Demorest, from left, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O’Grady
in “Star,” a new series by Lee Daniels, premiering Wednesday at 9p.m. EST on Fox.
Associated Press
make a fresh start in their gathered what he calls “a black man who, growing
lives. hodgepodge of things that up, felt like an outsider in
“Star,” which premieres inspired me: ‘Dreamgirls,’ his “West Philly” neighbor-
Wednesday at 9 p.m. ‘Valley of the Dolls,’ ‘Sex hood — escape isn’t really
EST on Fox, also features and the City’; a girls’ show what he aims to give his au-
Queen Latifah as the girls’ with music and a little bit of dience. Actually, he wants
surrogate mother and edge.” to share a bit of what he’s
Benjamin Bratt as a down- Plus original vocal-and- learned living what he calls,
on-his-luck talent agent. It dance numbers. sardonically, his “zany life.”
was co-created by Daniels, “It’s hard enough telling a “When I was 7, I watched
who directed the first two story,” he declares with a somebody killed,” he says.
episodes and has been roll of his eyes. “I must be a “And also when I was 10.
heavily involved in all the masochist to want to add “I’m 57 (on Christmas Eve)
subsequent writing and ed- music! It has to be seamless and I’m alive, without HIV,
iting. — you can’t just bust out and that’s a miracle: I
“We want to get it off the into a musical number. But watched so many friends
ground in the right way,” I enjoyed it so much with die in my arms, many of
he says, copping to a bit of ‘Empire’ we did it again. whom I had slept with. So
weariness from his heavy in- “And I wanted to talk about when you’ve got a foun-
volvement. “It’s a delicate race, about where we are dation of bullets whizzing
time. You really have to get racially in America. So the by you or somebody dying
people hooked into the lead girl (Star) is white, her in front of you, and parents
characters.” sister’s half-black, and, just who didn’t embrace you,
While “Empire” depicts the to turn things upside down, you have a wealth of stuff
glitzy but cut-throat world the third girl, who is black, is at your command. I only
of music at its pinnacle, the rich girl.” just now started going to
“Star” is planted at the grit- That was the show as envi- therapy.
ty entry level. sioned. But before that, all my
But how did the series “Then HE became presi- therapy was my work. I just
come about? dent,” says Daniels, per- spilled it out.
Daniels explains that, after haps getting a little ahead “My work is all about from
feasting on movie success, of himself. But his point is whence I cometh,” says
he resolved a while back to clear: With half of its 13 epi- the man who found his way
give TV a try. sodes completed, Daniels to Los Angeles and landed
“I did a pilot. I thought, worries that the ground has his first job as a reception-
‘OK, I can check THAT off shifted under his series as it ist at a nursing agency.
my bucket list.’ I assumed has with so much else. “This “I’m living a dream today.
it wouldn’t get picked up. show is a little bit about I’m blessed. And I’m here
Then it got picked up.” what’s going on today, but to give you what you’re
It was “Empire.” now it’s more of an escape. craving, which is a story
“Then Fox said, ‘You want Because I think people just that you can identify with;
to do another one?’ I said, can’t bear what’s going on voices that you don’t hear
‘OK.’” now. The show is for those and faces you don’t see.
He stewed over what that of us who can’t bear it.” At least, not onscreen ev-
new series should be, and But for Daniels — a gay ery day.”q