Who knew a Kanye West interview could help inspire one of the most successful television shows ever?
Actor turned screenwriter Danny Strong says Yeezy among other things gave him the confidence he needed in creating the hit series Empire.
“To procrastinate and for inspiration, I started watching Kanye West interviews. After 45 minutes… I said, ‘Alright, I’m good. I know how to do this,'” he told KCRW’s The Business podcast. Empire is now the fastest-growing drama on any network in the past decade. He says he "doesn't worry" about being white and writing a show centered around African-American culture.
“As far as my own experience in the African-American community, the truth is, when it comes for me and writing, I don’t write anything that I have ever had any experience in,” Strong said. “For me, it’s about what interests me, what excites me. Nothing is about my own life experience.”
