Trendy TV Report: Naomi Campbell Joins Lee Daniels Hip-Hop Drama, ‘Empire’
Supermodel Naomi Campbell has spent majority of her career turning the global catwalk into her own personal playpen. She silently and effortlessly slid into her forties and is proving beyond a doubt that beauty only gets more refined with age.
Getting older is supposed to inspire wisdom and garnered experience and Campbell is clearly putting this theory to good use.
The stunning maven, who also serves as a modeling coach alongside Anne Vyalitsyna and Lydia Hearst on Oxygen’s The Face, will flex her acting chops at the behest of Lee Daniels when she appears in the family drama, Empire.
Daniels has never been one to shy away from telling a gripping story filled with vibrantly afflicted characters. The Butler and Precious are testaments to his scholarly capabilities. So, it is not surprising that tackling the TV landscape seemed like a step in the right direction. Diversity has always been a bone of contention in Hollywood, particularly on the small screen. But with freshman shows like black-ish and Primetime connoisseur, Shonda Rhimes’ blockbuster offerings, it appears that the tide is turning, giving way to a growing number of dynamic and memorable characters of color.
Fox’s Empire is being ambitiously marketed as the Black version of the beloved 80’s nighttime soap “Dynasty”, and the log line definitely fits the bill. Empire is set in the heavily tumultuous world of hip-hop, with Taraji P. Henson starring as Cookie Lyon, the undoubtedly fiery ex-wife of Terrence Howard’s Lucious Lyon, who is the big boss at a successful record label. Campbell will be recurring as Camilla, an irresistibly seductive woman whose much younger victim Hakeem, played by Bryshere Gray, will have a challenging time balancing work and play, as he is being groomed to take over Lucious’ high-profile gig.
Both Campbell and Daniels are long-time friends, so that explains the random casting. Aside from that, it’s hard to imagine that Campbell won’t be able to hold her own in a dramatic role when you consider what she has been embroiled in these past few years (remember the cell phone fiasco?). When asked about her latest project, she replied. “It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of actresses like Halle Berry, Oprah, Gabourey Sidibe, and Mo’Nique, and work with Lee Daniels. I’m looking forward to joining Lee and this amazing cast on set.”
I guess we will be able to decide the fate of Empire when it debuts in early 2015.