13 Things We Learned From Lee Daniels & Bryshere Gray On The Breakfast Club

After ending last season on a cliffhanger, Empire is just a day from its season premier so it’s only right that its creator Lee Daniels and fan favorite Bryshere Gray drop by The Breakfast Club for a quick pow-wow.

Checking in with Charlamagne Tha God and Angela Yee, Lee and Bryshere open up about their lives before the fame with Mr. Daniel’s speaking about the hardship’s he’s faced from his family for being gay to Bryshere being kicked out of his home at 18.

Here are the 13 things we learned from Lee Daniels and Bryshere Gray on The Breakfast Club.

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Photo: Power 105

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1. Big Daddy Daniels

Lee Daniels goes by “Big Daddy” because back in the day a lot of African-American actors used to come to him to find them work and would call him “Big Daddy.” It was also a play on Daniels being overweight.

2. Brother Blues

Lee says his brother told him “bye” after he told him he was gay at the age of 13. Only recently did his brother reach out from jail and apologize for that.

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3. Lee’s Kids

Daniels says he raised his brother’s kids since they were children after his brother’s baby mama left the kids with his mother when they were just a few days old. Lee admits that taking in those kids saved him from being a drug addict.

4. Daddy Issues

LD loves his father even though he tried to beat the gay out of him. His father used to be Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner and was the Champ’s bodyguard while in Philadelphia. He credits his father for making him the man he is today.

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5. Clean Your Room or Get Out

Bryshere Gray says that his mother kicked him out of the house when he was 18-years-old because he didn’t clean his room.

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6. Macy Gray

Macy Gray was supposed to be Hakeem’s girlfriend in the original pilot of Empire but Fox didn’t like the direction her character would’ve gone with Hakeem.

7. Bryshere’s Cousin

Having a gay cousin who was his best friend, Bryshere never had a problem with Jesse Smollett’s sexuality nor does he judge anyone who is gay.

8. ADHD

Bryshere says he had to take medication for ADHD when he was a kid to help him focus in school.

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9. Empire End

Lee Daniels is pondering doing an Empire film to end the series so they can do the things they can’t do on TV.

10. Nia Long

Lee rebuffs rumors that Nia Long was going a “nightmare” with it on the set of Empire as “not true.”

11. Wesley Snipe’d

Lee once again says that he originally wanted Wesley Snipes to star in Empire but Taraji said she’d only do the show with Terrance Howard. Wesley could’ve really used that steady income too, man.

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12. Monique

Lee says he’s never blackballed Monique saying “why would I blackball somebody that I love and respect?” He also adds he’d absolutely work with her again.

13. New Edition

Lee admits that he told Bryshere not to do the New Edition series. He wanted him to do Hamilton. He says once he saw the series he called him and apologized saying he made the right decision.