Loretha "Cookie" Lyon (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Holloway) is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
from the American musical drama ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
. Portrayed by
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series, the
queen bee
A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...
and the wife of former drug dealer turned hip-hop mogul,
Lucious Lyon
Lucious Lyon (born Dwight Walker) is a fictional character from the Fox drama series ''Empire'', portrayed by Terrence Howard. Lucious is the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series. Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, Lucious is the fo ...
(
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...
) 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.
Storyline
In the
show's first episode, Cookie gets released from prison and immediately visits
Jamal
Jamal ( ar, جمال ''/'') is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "beauty",[Jamal]
at BehindTheName.com and a surna ...
, her gay son (
Jussie Smollett
Jussie Smollett (, born June 21, 1982) is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a child actor in 1991 debuting in ''The Mighty Ducks (film), The Mighty Ducks'' (1992). In 2015, Smollett portrayed musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox Bro ...
), the only member of the family that has kept in touch with her. Cookie then confronts Lucious (
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...
) 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 (
Bryshere Y. Gray
Bryshere Yazuan Gray (born November 28, 1993), also known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest or simply Yazz, is an American actor and rapper, best known for his role as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series ''Empire'' ...
) wants nothing to do with her. The oldest and most qualified businessman, Andre (
Trai Byers
Trai Byers (born July 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Andre Lyon in the Fox television series ''Empire'' (2015–2020).
Early life
Trai Byers was born in Kansas City, Kansas. After a year of high school in Kansas Ci ...
), 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.
Cookie is devastated when her cousin Bunkie is discovered murdered. When she was in bed with Lucious 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 (You're so Beautiful) that reveals his sexuality to the public, infuriating Lucious. 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 who was Frank Gathers. In Season 2, after the arrest of Lucious, she attempts to make a
hostile takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to ...
in Empire but fails due to their investor siding with Lucious and Jamal, further damaging Jamal and Cookie's relationship. Frank Gathers then sends Jermel's severed head to Cookie and Carol and realises that he is out to get her. She then tells Lucious to take care of it, which then leads to Gathers being killed by his own goons. She then creates a new company with Hakeem named Lyon Dynasty after the failed hostile takeover, which then causes a conflict with Lucious' Empire and Cookie's Lyon Dynasty. After Jamal is shot by Freda Gatz, Frank Gathers' daughter, she tries to fix the Lyon family's mistakes. In Season 3, further conflict occurs in the Lyon family as Rhonda is killed, Andre gets into trouble and Shyne attempts to eliminate one of her sons. Her family then starts to fall apart after the arrival of Giluana, Lucious' former lover and the removal of Bella Lyon by child services. During the finale of Season 3, Cookie and her family are together once again at the Laviticus nightclub in Las Vegas, where Jamal performs 'When Cookie Met Lucious'. Lucious is then involved in a car explosion, giving him amnesia and causing him to forget his wife and family. In Season 4, Cookie is the CEO of Empire while Lucious is receiving 'help' from Nurse Claudia after the devastating explosion. Cookie has her suspicions when Claudia begins to inappropriately amuse Lucious, but eventually his memory returns and he kicks Claudia out of the house, satisfying Cookie.
Eventually, Cookie and Lucious get remarried in the Season 4 finale. In the Season 5 premiere, it has been revealed that two years has passed since Cookie and Lucious lost Empire to Teddy Barker which is then turned over to Jeff Kingsley after Teddy unexpectedly dies. Eventually, Lucious learns that Jeff is actually Lucious' son that he had with another woman, Tracy Kingsley, before he married Cookie. In the Season 5 finale, Lucious has to temporarily leave New York City since he is wanted by the FBI. He asks Cookie to go with him, but she refuses and tells Lucious that him and Empire aren't good for her. She also reveals to Lucious about the affair she had with Damon Cross and leaves, while Lucious gets on the helicopter and leaves New York City. In the Season 6 premiere, it's learned that six months has passed since Cookie and Lucious separated. Cookie and Lucious get divorced again later in Season 6.
Creation and development
Executive producer
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was '' Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
revealed that Cookie was loosely based on the women in his life including his sister as well as
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
' ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'' character,
Alexis Colby
Alexis Carrington Colby (; formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''Dynasty''. She is the ex-wife of Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) whose schemes cause one problem after another for him and their children. ...
. Cookie will stop at nothing to get what she wants and she will cause "havoc" along the way. Henson said in an interview with ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'', that Cookie is the "hood version of Mama Rose from ''
Gypsy
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
''."
Casting and portrayal
On February 26, 2014, it was announced that
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
, best known for her
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-nominated performance in the 2008 film, ''
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' and her most recent stint on the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
drama, ''
Person of Interest
"Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...
'' had been cast in the role of Cookie Lyon. After being released from a 17-year prison stint, Cookie challenges her husband Lucious for half ''Empire'' Entertainment, which was initially launched with money Cookie made from selling drugs.
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.
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was '' Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
said that Henson was who he "envisioned" when he first thought of the character.
[ Daniels recalled that she actually wanted the title role in his 2009 film, '' Precious'', a role that later went to ]Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the 2009 film '' Precious'', a role that earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, in addition to nominations for the Golden Globe an ...
, for which he said "she's out of her mind." Actress and comedian Mo'Nique
Monique Angela Hicks (née Imes; born December 11, 1967), known professionally as Mo'Nique, is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She has received an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
She ...
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
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
—revealed that Daniels had also offered her the role of Cookie, but the network rejected the idea accusing her of being "difficult."
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?" "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.
Personality
With the announcement of Henson's casting, the character of Cookie was described as a "total badass."[ "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.][ Henson hailed Cookie as her "hero." In an interview with the ]Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, 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. Cookie is a "tell-it-like-it-is everywoman." Henson described Cookie as "every actor's dream." "There's no mask" Henson said of Cookie. She is "raw nerve."[ 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.][ 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 ookiein" 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."]
Fashion
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."[ 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." 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." 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. 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." 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.
]
Reception
The character of Cookie has been well received, and Henson was immediately praised for her portrayal. The character has drawn several comparisons to Alexis Carrington
Alexis Carrington Colby (; formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''Dynasty''. She is the ex-wife of Blake Carrington ( John Forsythe) whose schemes cause one problem after another for him and their children ...
, the femme fatale famously played by Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
on Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
's 1980s prime time soap opera, ''Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
''. Sandy Cohen described Cookie as the "heart" of the series.[ Tim Stack of '']Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said that "In Henson's hands, Cookie becomes a hot-blooded mother lion in Louboutins, sure to be the show's most quoted character."[
'']BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
'' said Henson "delivers one of her finest performances to date" as Cookie. While Henson usually shared the screen with big-name actors, Kelley L. Carter said ''Empire'' is "most certainly Henson's moment." Carter praised Henson's portrayal of Cookie as well as the actor's previous characters and said that "Her characters consistently feel like real people the audience actually knows, thanks to the measured way in which she portrays black women who've endured hardships." With Henson, Cookie doesn't become a "caricature" but instead is a "complicated woman who is far from one-dimensional," thanks to the "emotional sensitivity" that Henson brings to the character. "If Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
had a baby with Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
, it would be Taraji", says Jussie Smollett
Jussie Smollett (, born June 21, 1982) is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a child actor in 1991 debuting in ''The Mighty Ducks (film), The Mighty Ducks'' (1992). In 2015, Smollett portrayed musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox Bro ...
, who plays Henson's son Jamal in the series. He continued, "She's the perfect leading lady."[ Crime novelist ]Attica Locke
Attica Locke (born 1974 in Houston, Texas) is an American fiction author and writer/producer for television and film.
Career
A 1995 graduate of Northwestern University School of Communication, Locke was a fellow at the Sundance Institute's Featu ...
joined the writing team after the Pilot and admitted that it was because of Cookie. "I felt like her character was unprecedented in that I'd never seen a woman or a mother like this on TV, so full of trouble and saying all the wrong things and yet you understand where she's coming from." ''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
's'' Michael Logan said Henson played Cookie with "fire and fabulosity."[ Jamey Giddens from ''Daytime Confidential'' raved about Henson's portrayal of the "insurmountable" Cookie and said "just go ahead and hand the next six seasons worth of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series Emmys to Henson." Giddens also appreciated the character's grit and joked, "Cookie is no Claire Huxtable."] Dave Wiengand of ''The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington (s ...
'' said Henson as Cookie is "biggest magnet in the cast. With her claw-like fake nails and exaggerated wigs, Cookie's a force to be reckoned with, both by the other characters and the actors who play them." Alyssa Rosenburg of ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' said that Cookie is TV's "best new female character" of 2015. Jozen Cummings of ''The New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' noted Cookie Lyon's similarities to real-life Sugar Hill Records
Sugar Hill Records is an American bluegrass and Americana record label.
It was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and David Freeman, the owner of County Records and Rebel Records. Poss acquired full control of Sugar Hil ...
co-founder Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Robinson (née Vanderpool; May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011) was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with ...
.
In May 2015, Henson won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Cookie. She was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to Viola Davis
Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
for her role in the ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
legal drama
A legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice play ...
series ''How To Get Away With Murder
''How to Get Away with Murder'' is an American legal thriller television series that premiered on ABC on September 25, 2014, and concluded on May 14, 2020. The series was created by Peter Nowalk, and produced by Shonda Rhimes and ABC Studios. Th ...
''. In 2016, Henson won the Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Actress in a drama series. Later that year, Henson was nominated again for another Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to Tatiana Maslany
Tatiana Gabriele Maslany ( ; born September 22, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence for playing multiple characters in the science fiction thriller television series ''Orphan Black'' (2013–2017), which won her a Primetime Emmy ...
for her role in the BBC America
BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary ser ...
sci-fi
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...
drama series ''Orphan Black
''Orphan Black'' is a Canadian Science fiction on television, science-fiction Thriller (genre), thriller television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett (director), John Fawcett and starring Tatiana Maslany. Th ...
''.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Cookie Lyon
at the Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Cookie
Empire (2015 TV series)
Fictional African-American people
Fictional musicians
Fictional drug dealers
Television characters introduced in 2015
Fictional characters from Philadelphia
Fictional characters from New York City
American female characters in television