Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
Continue with Facebook Continue with emailBy joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Oscar winner Mo'Nique claims she was offered the role first
In a twist worthy of Empire's dramatics, Oscar winner Mo'Nique is claiming that the show's creator, Lee Daniels, initially offered her the role of fan favorite character Cookie (Taraji P. Henson).
"Mr. Daniels offered me the part of Cookie, and I have the emails and the sides to go along with it," Mo'Nique told Access Hollywood's Billy Bush and Kit Hoover Tuesday during an interview to promote her new project Blackbird.
Was Mo'Nique blackballed after winning an Oscar?
"What he said was, 'I'm new to this TV thing. This is just a technicality... you have the role.' ... Well, four days have gone by because I didn't receive a phone call or another email for the location of where I was supposed to go to do this screen test," she said.
But Mo'Nique's claims didn't stop there. The actress also said a similar situation occurred when Daniels was casting for The Butler. "I really don't know what happened in reference to The Butler," she said. "Mr. Daniels and I had a conversation. I had the script, the email that goes along with it in reference to the character, read the script, loved it. Then I never heard from Mr. Daniels again, and the next I saw was that Oprah Winfrey is now playing the part."
On Saturday, Empire co-creator and executive producer Danny Strong denied Mo'Nique's claims on Twitter. "Mo'Nique was never offered roles in Empireor The Butler," he tweeted. "Monique is so talented she'd be great in almost anything. But Cookie was always [Taraji P. Henson]."
TV Scorecard: What's renewed? What's canceled?
Despite the alleged drama, Mo'Nique still encouraged people to tune in for Empire. "Let me say this and be clear: Please support that show. Please support my brother Lee, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson and that whole cast because what they're doing right now is absolutely amazing, and they're breaking records," she said. "I don't want anybody to think for a second that there is an issue with myself and the show Empire."
Mo'Nique's latest claims come two weeks after she told The Hollywood Reporterthat she was "blackballed" after winning an Oscar for her performance in Daniels' 2010 film Precious. She said it was none other than Daniels who told her she had been blackballed because she notoriously refused to campaign for the Oscar.
Daniels did little to dissuade her claims, saying in a statement to the magazine that "her demands through Precious were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community. I consider her a friend. I have and will always think of her for parts that we can collaborate on. However, the consensus among the creative teams and powers thus far were to go another way with these roles."
Empire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Fox. Do you think Mo'Nique would have made a good Cookie?
TODAY'S VIDEO: Clark Gregg teases the return of S.H.I.E.L.D. in emojis