DIVAH EXCLUSIVE: Tyrese and Lee Daniels Discuss Breaking Through A Generation

“The truth," Lee Daniels says, "is polarizing".

On last week's episode of the Fox hit series; “Star”, Lee Daniels reached deep into the problems of the transgender community. Pastor Harris played by actor/ singer Tyrese Gibson who is starring in his first ever reoccurring role on a television series, attempts to do what most clergy tend to do in with the LGBT community, which is pray the devil out of them. In a gut wrenching scene, Harris prays over Cotton played by Amiyah Scott to bring Carlotta's (Queen Latifah) son back from being “lost”. This moment in television shook the ground and created more conversations on this subject.

"Before this Role as Pastor Harris, I have never experienced or been around a transgender person." Tyrese admits. Gibson sought out producer and creator of the hit series; Lee Daniels for advice about interacting with Scott, so that he wouldn’t unintentionally do or say anything that could be offensive to the actress and real life transgender star. Gibson said, “that the timing of him opening up this subject is to show that this happens every day, even though we don’t see or go through it”. He continues “I’m not trying to force this approach down people’s throats, but we do want to bridge the gap of understanding on this subject”.

The Black Rose singer commended Daniels for his approach on touchy subjects. Lee Daniel's work can often cause stir in different communities and cause some to feel uncomfortable, but there is a lesson in every episode of every series and production created.

Daniels puts his truth into every story told through both the television & movie screen and sometimes he even feels uneasy doing it. “I felt like the scene in Empire when Jamal was thrown into the trash can was very personal, but it is a story that needs to be seen", Daniels stated. Lee is known for making memorable characters and creating stories through their narratives. He himself believes that artists are put here to explore the human condition and with his projects and many others he is showcasing just that.

Be sure to tune into STAR on FOX, Wednesdays at 9:00pm ET.