Entertainment

Benjamin Bratt Is The Agent Of A 'Star'

The new series from Empire creator Lee Daniels follows the music business down to Atlanta. What characters will we meet along the way? The series focuses on the creation of a girl group with singers from wildly different backgrounds, but the supporting characters are just as intriguing. For example, former Law & Order actor Benjamin Bratt plays Jahil Rivera on Star , a character from the industry side — though he's nothing like Lucious Lyon.

According to the official FOX press release, Jahil is "a down-on-his-luck talent agent looking to revitalize his career, who’s taken a certain interest in Star." He sees this group as a way to redeem himself. Every upcoming star needs that one person who believes in them and has the ability to make it happen. That sounds like Jahil, though his personal motives might cause conflict down the line.

In an interview with FOX5, Bratt also discussed how the character is a reflection of the show's creator. "One thing [Jahil] does have is the ability to recognize talent and to develop it," Bratt said. "That's his artistry. On some level, Lee Daniels developed this character based on himself. He went to Hollywood back in the '90s as a representative of actors and equally could see talent before him, but because of personal issues, spun out. Jahil is potentially a road to redemption for Lee because he clearly turned his life around."

Jahil also used to date Queen Latifah's character. The drama just builds and builds, which is exactly what we should expect from Star.

Image: Annette Brown/FOX