Entertainment

Jussie Smollett: My Mom’s a Super Fan of Fox’s ‘Empire,’ Too

Published

11 years ago

March 17, 2015

Jussie Smollett attends AHF’s National Black AIDS/Awareness Day event at H.O.M.E. Beverly Hills, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Jeff Lewis / AP Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)

ALICIA RANCILIO, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Jussie Smollett, one of the stars of Fox’s prime-time soap, “Empire,” says he counts his mom as one of the super fans of the series.

“She calls me every single Wednesday and I know that we have to stay on the phone at least for 30 minutes to an hour of just hearing her break down what (Taraji P. Henson’s character) Cookie did, what the brothers did, which song was her favorite, you know? So, yeah, it’s fun. It’s good fun,” said the actor at Monday’s premiere of the movie “Insurgent” in New York.

On “Empire,” Smollett plays Jamal Lyon, the middle son to a music mogul, played by Terrence Howard and his ex-wife, Cookie Lyon, who was recently released from prison after serving 17-years for dealing drugs.

Jamal’s an aspiring singer-songwriter who also happens to be gay, which his father can’t accept. He’s also the moral compass of the series.

The show has managed to climb in the ratings each week and will wrap up its 10-episode first season with a two-hour finale on Wednesday (at 8 p.m. EDT.)

Smollett, 31, says he hasn’t been able to wrap his mind around how much his life has changed in just a few months, and he hopes he never does.

“In a way … I kind of hope that I don’t realize all that’s happening. I hope that I still wake up every day the same man wanting to work hard and do something really, really awesome, you know? And just get paid to do what I love, which is awesome.”

He realized the show was a hit when he was bombarded at a grocery store by a group of elderly women who recognized him.

“They were all in Whole Foods and they said, ‘Jamal?’ and they could not figure out how to use their camera phones and that was a moment where it was so funny to me and then I sat back and thought about it and I was like, ‘Why do they even know who I am,’ you know? So it’s awesome though. It’s awesome.”

During his hiatus, Smollett hopes to spend time with his family and “maybe go somewhere and get a nice tan.”

“Empire” has also had a revolving door of famous guest stars including Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Jennifer Hudson, Estelle, Mary J. Blige and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

___

Online:

http://www.fox.com/empire/

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Related Topics:Black TV shows Empire Empire TV show Jussie Smollett

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

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4 days ago

September 7, 2026

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Black History

Jackie Wright Champions Bay Area Stories, Filmmakers and Cultural Institutions

As an award-winning communications professional, Wright has worked with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, and community organizations. In 2026, she expanded that work by launching an introductory public relations class for small businesses and nonprofits, offering practical tools for gaining visibility, shaping messages and building productive relationships with the media.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 30, 2026

Post News Group

Jackie Wright of Wright Enterprises. Photo courtesy of Wright Enterprises.

By Carla Thomas

Jackie Wright has spent more than two decades helping people, organizations and communities understand the power of a well-told story.

As founder and president of Wright Enterprises, a San Francisco-based strategic communications and public affairs firm, Wright has built a career spanning journalism, public relations, media relations, crisis communications, community engagement and multimedia storytelling.

Wright’s commitment to storytelling is also deeply personal. She wrote and co-directed the 15-minute documentary, “Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor,” which chronicles the story of her parents, Specialist Five (S5 Wyley Wright Jr. and Ouida Fay McClendon Wright. Her father, a U.S. Army helicopter crew chief, died in Vietnam in 1964 while serving as an honor guard during a visit by then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Decades later, Wright and her siblings had their father exhumed from a segregated cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida, and their mother moved from her burial place in Georgia so the couple could be reunited at Arlington National Cemetery in 2014.

The family journey later took Wright and her sister to Vietnam, where they discovered the former military compound that had been named in honor of their father and another fallen soldier. The documentary, centered on love, war, family, racial understanding, and remembrance, earned festival recognition at screenings.

“It was quite an honor to learn about my family’s history and share it on film,” said Wright.

That filmmaking experience complements Wright’s longstanding advocacy for independent cinema. She has served as a media partner and brand ambassador for Bay Area film festivals, including the San Francisco Black Film Festival, Oakland International Film Festival, and the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa.

“It’s important to help filmmakers and underrepresented stories reach broader audiences,” said Wright.

Whether promoting a neighborhood organization, championing an independent filmmaker or preserving her own family history, Wright has remained consistent. Through Wright Enterprises, she has turned communications into both a profession and a form of community service, telling stories that might otherwise go unheard.

“Our stories are an integral part of our history, and our history is not only American history, but worldwide,” she said.