Mo Rocca interviews Lee Daniels on this week’s edition of CBS Sunday Morning (9am/8C) – and Daniels has something to say about the confluence of Holly wood, filmmaking and awards. He’s not shy about it either.
‘Hollywood doesn’t owe anybody anything,’ says the man behind Precious, Empire and Star, before continuing on and explaining why.
FILMMAKER LEE DANIELS TELLS “CBS SUNDAY MORNING” HOLLYWOOD DOESN’T OWE ANYBODY ANYTHING
Critically acclaimed filmmaker Lee Daniels says Hollywood doesn’t owe anybody anything, in an interview with Mo Rocca for CBS SUNDAY MORNING to be broadcast Sunday, Jan. 8 (9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.
Daniels, the force behind “Monster’s Ball,” “Precious,” “The Butler” and the TV series “Empire,” has been outspoken about complaints that Hollywood is unfair when it comes to race, specifically when people suggest films starring and featuring African Americans were overlooked in recent years at the Academy Awards simply because of color.
“These entitled people that say, ‘Oh, Hollywood owes us something.’ No, you owe you something,” Daniels tells Rocca. “And then you going to say, ‘Oh, Hollywood owes me awards.’ Huh? The fact that you want to do a movie for an award and that somebody owes you an award, get out of here. Don’t even make sense. And you call yourself an artist? Really? We don’t do it for the awards.”
Daniels doesn’t deny there are problems with the system – big ones – but he’s not letting those problems stop him, nor, he says, should they stop anyone else.
“Do I think there are injustices in Hollywood every day as there are in America? Yes, there are,” Daniels tells Rocca. “Not just injustices, but there are atrocities, I believe, that have happened. But is that going to define me? No. And – am I still going to get what’s mine? You better believe it, I am. And I will continue.”
In addition to his take on Hollywood, Daniels talks with Rocca about his sometimes challenging path to success, his new TV series “Star,” and growing up in Atlanta with a father who struggled to accept that his son was gay.
CBS SUNDAY MORNING is broadcast Sundays (9:00-10:30 AM ET) on the CBS Television Network. Rand Morrison is the executive producer.
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