‘Empire’ Loves Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus Doesn’t
Empire made fans’ dreams come true with a much-anticipated guest role for songstress Mariah Carey. While Mariah playing Kitty, someone not entirely dissimilar to Carey herself, was an exciting moment for Empire fans, some were left feeling cheated, hoping that Mariah’s role would have been much meatier. Empire executive producer Sanaa Hamri addresses those concerns and much more in a new interview, also suggesting that Empire fans haven’t yet seen the last of Carey as Kitty.
Meanwhile, Mariah Carey has her share of real-life haters and Miley Cyrus counts herself among them. Miley reveals why she has never been a fan of Carey in describing how she differs from the Infinity artist.
Empire Fans May See More Mariah
In telling Entertainment Tonight that he had been orchestrating a Mariah Carey cameo on Empire for quite some time, Sanaa Hamri reveals that he has known Carey for years, having worked on her music videos, long before transitioning into film and television. The Empire showrunner says traveling with Mariah on her tours has given him a special insight that helped him to develop the perfect story arc in which to bring Ms. Carey into the Empire series.
The Empire producer describes bringing Carey in as Kitty in a way that the role actually serves a purpose by helping to get Jamal (Jussie Smollett) back into the studio. Collaborating with Kitty helps Jamal ease himself out of his PTSD by giving him a comfortable and enjoyable project to focus on, though Empire‘s Hamri suggests there’s still a problem, seen when Jamal pops a pill at the beginning of the scene.
It was a scene that Empire producers felt worked really well, even if fans felt Mariah Carey was on screen for too brief a time. Sanaa knows the concerns of Empire fans and offers hope that they may yet see more of Ms. Carey in upcoming episodes.
“We want her to return, of course. Her schedule is crazy. We were lucky to get her for what we did,” says the Empire EP “She wants to come back and I’m sure that we can figure it out when the time is right and it makes sense.”
Miley Cyrus Doesn’t Mince Words When It Comes To Mariah Carey
Spanning just a couple of years, Miley Cyrus has grown up more than people might ever have expected, and for the “Wrecking Ball” singer, part of maturing has been developing her own sense of style and musical ethics. People reports that Miley sees music as a form of expression in that it allows the artist and the fans to share ideas and feelings, which is something Cyrus feels is beyond Mariah Carey. She says Ms. Carey is too self-centered to appreciate the real gifts music has to offer.
“I’ve never really been a fan, because it’s so much about Mariah Carey,” Cyrus says. “That’s part of her shtick.”
Miley adds that, while Ms. Carey may have her fans fooled, nothing gets past her fellow musicians. Cyrus says she has always seen a more superficial side of Mariah and, for that reason, she has never really liked her.
“That’s part of what makes her a gay icon,” explains Cyrus. “Like, it’s about Mimi! It’s about what she’s wearing, and it’s about her.”
Miley isn’t just building herself up to make Mariah Carey look bad. She really means what she’s saying. Proof of that comes in Cyrus’ addition to NBC’s The Voice, where she will use her musical talents to help a new generation of artists achieve success and recognition.
“I want to help these singers,” says Cyrus. “[A producer says to me], ‘Shut the f— up! You’re at 20 minutes!’ I’m like, what are you going to do – kick out these two 16-year-olds from Arkansas when they’re still pitchy? If I’m here, I’m going to do it for real. I’m not acting; I’m not playing me.”
[Featured Image by Charley Gallay/Getty Images]
