Source: Leon Bennett / Getty
Nia Long’s work ethic reputation seems to be on the line due to the complaints of the Empire cast and crew.
Long was a recurring guest in season three of the show, which has just wrapped. She played an ex-lover to Lucious Lyon, who was in the process of reconnecting with Cookie.
Well it seems we shouldn’t get too comfortable with Long’s character. According to TMZ sources, Long was horrible to work with. The hair and makeup team had never filed a formal complaint against an actor until her. They testified that she was very disrespectful and she disparaged them every time they gave her a look she didn’t like. Co-star, Taraji P. Henson was not here for Long’s treatment of the makeup staff. She reportedly got so mad at Long, that they refused to talk to each other. At one point, the crew almost had to shoot scenes they were in together separately.
Sources also said Long was “habitually late.” They insisted Henson and another Empire lead, Terrence Howard, would sometimes be on set waiting for 30 minutes and Long was nowhere to be found. Producers had to use a stand-in of Long, so Henson and Howard could rehearse a scene.
One source says that Long even plans on suing the show. Supposedly, after the shooting of her last scene, the assistant director did not publicly thank Long for her work as is custom on many sets. This reportedly pissed Long off. However, the A.D. reportedly didn’t say thank you because Terrence Howard had an allergic reaction and was ill. The source continues that Long walked off set, telling someone in production that she was going to sue the show because her “goodbye” was apart of her contract. Production sources commented that this is a lie.
Long’s representative denied all of the cast and crew’s unpleasant allegations saying, “We stand by our comments this morning that Nia has always, and continues to be, a consummate professional on set. In respect to her working relationships with the cast, she came onto this project, in the first place, because of her long-standing friendship and professional relationship with Terrence Howard.” The representative continued, “We are not aware of any complaint, suit or case against her from anyone involved in the show, and we find the timing of all of these stories to be very suspicious, given that the series returns tonight.”
Is this just another marketing scheme? Or is the prominent actress long overdue for an intervention? Maybe all will be revealed by the involved parties in the near future.
However, according to another source, one actor said the experience was so unpleasant that they would never work with Long again. This isn’t looking too good.
Nia Long Was Allegedly A Nightmare On The Set Of ‘Empire’ was originally published on globalgrind.com
