Cyrus Langhorne
[As fans eagerly await the return of “Empire” season two, actor Jussie Smollett talks to SOHH about the on-screen, off-screen chemistry.]
As far as the relationship and the chemistry between both [“Empire” characters] Hakeem and Jamal and, obviously, essentially, myself and Yazz, the thing about Hakeem and Jamal is that they compete and there are other people that really have their hands in the pot of their brotherhood, but at the same time they always find themselves back to each other.
They always find their way back to each other somehow.
I think that’s the beautiful thing about them is that families fight; families have issues. Not exactly as many issues as the Lyons family, but, families fight and they have issues and then they come back together at the end of the day and they’re a family.
I think that it speaks volumes about brotherhood, the fact that Hakeem is so supportive of Jamal. Jamal is so supportive of Hakeem, but then it leads into our friendship and our brotherhood outside of the work.
I feel like I watch the show sometimes, like when Yazz was performing “Nothing but a Number,” my character was excited, but my character was excited because I was genuinely excited because that was the first time I heard the song and I loved it and he was killing it.
There’s that brotherhood and camaraderie that we share. I think that’s what you see.
“Empire” season two is expected to start filming this summer.
