Loretha "Cookie" Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama Empire on Fox. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series and the ex-wife of former drug dealer turned hip-hop mogul, Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) who gets released from prison and strikes out to lay claim to half of their multimillion-dollar record label, which was initially funded by her drug money.

Background Edit

Loretha Holloway, nicknamed "Cookie", was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has two sisters, Candace (Vivica A. Fox) and Carol (Tasha Smith). Growing up, Cookie gradually began working in the drug dealing business, which is where she met, and soon married Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard). Cookie and Lucious have three living children and once deceased daughter.: Andre (Trai Byers), Jamal (Jussie Smollett), and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray)(Yazz the Greatest). Cookie strove to ensure that her children would get the best out of everything. In the drug dealing business, Cookie's life has revolved around music, money, and dodging the law.

One of Cookie's former accomplices is Frank Gathers (Chris Rock). Cookie, meanwhile, contributed to the beginnings of Empire Entertainment, distributing $400,000 worth of drug money to create the company. Because Cookie has been involved in drug dealing gone bad, forcing her to serve 17 years in prison, preventing her from being in her sons' lives. After Lucious becomes distant from Cookie while she is incarcerated, the two eventually get a divorce.

Storyline Edit

In the show's first episode, Cookie gets released from prison and immediately visits Jamal, her gay son (Jussie Smollett), the only member of the family that has kept in touch with her. Cookie then confronts Lucious (Terrence Howard) demanding half of the company, but he refuses and instead offers her a seven-figure income and living arrangements. She quickly realizes that her youngest son Hakeem wants nothing to do with her. The oldest and most qualified businessman, Andre (Trai Byers), convinces Cookie to manage Jamal's career, which puts Jamal and Hakeem head to head. This action also results in Cookie and Lucious being at odds.[2] Cookie is devastated when her cousin Bunkie is discovered murdered. When she was in bed with Luscious Lyon, this was confessed in his sleep. At the same time she schemes to get Jamal to come out publicly during Hakeem's debut performance at Lucious' club. While that plan falls apart, Jamal ends up performing with Hakeem anyway. He later performs a song that shows his sexuality. Cookie is later confronted by federal agents who want her to testify in front of a grand jury against the drug dealer that she ratted out to obtain her release.[3]

Creation and development Edit

Executive producer Lee Daniels revealed that Cookie was loosely based on the women in his life including his sister as well as Joan Collins' Dynasty character, Alexis Carrington. Cookie will stop at nothing to get what she wants and she will cause "havoc" along the way.[4] Henson said in an interview with TV Guide, that Cookie is the "hood version of Mama Rose from Gypsy."

Casting and portrayal Edit
On February 26, 2014, it was announced that Taraji P. Henson, best known for her Academy Award nominated performance in the 2008 film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and her most recent stint on the CBS drama, Person of Interest had been cast in the role of Cookie Lyon. After being released from a 17-year prison stint, Cookie challenges her ex-husband Lucious for half Empire Entertainment, which was initially launched with money Cookie made from selling drugs.[5] Knowing they would need well established actors to carry the series, executives at Fox reached out to Henson. Henson who had just ended her stint on Person of Interest in 2013 said she was done with television. However, Henson's manager sent her the script for Empire anyway.[6] Lee Daniels said that Henson was who he "envisioned" when he first thought of the character.[7] Daniels recalled that she actually wanted the title role in his 2009 film, Precious, a role that later went to Gabourey Sidibe, for which he said "she's out of her mind."[8] Ironically, actress and comedian Mo'Nique who also co-starred in the film Precious as the mother of the title character (portrayed by Sidibe)—for which she won an Academy Award—revealed that Daniels had also offered her the role of Cookie, but the network rejected the idea accusing her of being "difficult."[9]

Cookie "challenges me and I like that, I really do... I remember picking up the script and it scared the bejesus out of me. I was scared of Cookie," Henson explained. She knew the content would "piss off" a lot of viewers, but added, "isn't that what art is supposed to do?"[10] "I know I'm going to have to probably dig into some ugly places in my life to bring the character to life" Henson remarked.[7]

Personality Edit
"It's this combination of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Mama Rose on crack meets Lee Daniels' sister."

Danny Strong on Cookie[11]
With the announcement of Henson's casting, the character of Cookie was described as a "total badass."[5] "She's a lot of things," Henson said of her character in an interview with E!. Cookie is "very complicated and complex," the actress stated.[10] Henson hailed Cookie as her "hero." In an interview with the Associated Press, she described Cookie as "the truth." Cookie is a "strong" woman who puts her "family first." Cookie "doesn't compromise at all? never herself, and never her truth." The actress admits that Cookie says what Henson might not have the guts to say.[12] Cookie is a "tell-it-like-it-is everywoman." Henson described Cookie as "every actor's dream."[13] "There's no mask" Henson said of Cookie. She is "raw nerve."[8] Henson admitted that she can identify with Cookie's "mentality" because "I am from the 'hood.' It wasn't upper middle class; it was lower middle class." While Henson's life may not have been as bad as some of her peers, "I went to school with those kids. That's where I lived." She has compassion for a person like Cookie because "I was around it, so I can't judge" she said. Like Henson, who lost her son's father three years after giving birth, Cookie "did whatever she had to do" to support her family.[7] Henson said viewers could identify with Cookie simply because "She's just real." Cookie is not "malicious" but she "shoots straight from the hip" and she's usually right. Henson admitted that she often has to "rein [Cookie] in" to keep from becoming "over the top" in her portrayal. As an actress, because Henson is so "uninhibited," the writers tend to write her "really big." Henson said "I make a conscious effort to sit on it" because if she always played it big, Cookie becomes a "stereotype and no one cares."[14]

Fashion Edit
A big part of the character is Cookie's fashion, which Henson has quite a lot of input in. "They've given me a lot of leeway. I love dressing up, as you can see, I love to play," said Henson. For the character, when Cookie first comes out of prison, "she is a bit dated" in her fashion sense, according to Henson. However, "You'll get to see her grow, not only in her art, but also in her style."[10] Ayanna Prescod of Vibe Magazine commented, "Cookie is fierce, caring and extremely powerful. Her wardrobe is filled with fur, animal prints, golds and sparkles. After only one premiere show, women are asking how to look like Cookie."[15] After her time in prison, Cookie needed to reclaim what she put into Empire. In order to "be a boss woman", Cookie sets up a wardrobe that allows her to "look like one."[16] Empire costume designer Rita McGhee says of the character: "She is everywoman...She wears a suit, but it's a leopard suit and she wears it with some thigh-high boots. She owns the armor of her fashion. How shes feels inside matches her outside." McGhee also stated that Cookie's sense of fashion was inspired by Michelle Obama.[17] Henson said of the character's immense and varied wardrobe, "It’s like fashion on crack! It’s high drama, I get to dress up and wear things I can’t afford or that I just wouldn’t buy because I’m cheap."[18] Henson referred to Cookie as "an animal" out for what belongs to her, and stated that her love of fur and leopard prints relates to that theme.

And she bare's it all!!.....

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May your path be lined with beauty, may your days be filled with favour. May every of your efforts yield positive result. Happy new month.

In this New Month, your pains will be in the past, and your gains will be exalted because you shall have dominion over every challenge. Happy new month, I wish you a very blessed month ahead.