Emmy Round Table: Drama: Television today feels like great ‘70s cinema, actors say
Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”), Michael Sheen (“Masters of Sex”) and others talk about shaking things up and taking risks on TV as content follows form.
It’s been said again and again that television is changing, but where is it going? The Envelope spoke with actors from five television dramas about the new directions television may be going.
It is not just the multitude of viewing platforms or the abundance of available content that’s making us wonder what’s next, agreed the participants at the Envelope’s annual Emmy Drama Roundtable -- Sissy Spacek (“Bloodline”), Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”), Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”), Michael Sheen (“Masters of Sex”) and Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”).
Rather, it’s the risks that producers, writers and actors are now taking. Some shows are experimenting with releasing an entire season at once, others are crossing boundaries and breaking social barriers. Either way, the future of television is wide open.
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“No one can really anticipate what’s going to take off and what’s not,” said Sheen. “Because the form is changing, the way people access the form is changing, and that’s affecting the content of things as well.”
And see why the thought of doing “Empire” “scared the life out of” Taraji P. Henson in the video above. Check back soon for more clips from the Envelope’s conversation with drama show stars and other Emmy conversations.
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