How Empire's Serayah Learned About Tiana's Sexuality

What's up guys? Ruper Wilson here at the Young Hollywood Studios with the very beautiful, very flawless, Miss Seraya from Fox's Empire.

What up, yo? Hey! I love the fact that we are like so twinning right now, with the romhim romper. Yes. That's so crazy though, and down to the jewelry. That was really crazy. Look at that. Insane.

Great minds think alike.

Yes, for sure. So, let's talk about this new single, "Driving Me." I did it with Jazzy Pha. Yes, right? And it was unplanned. It was like so spontaneous, and it ended up just being a smash, and we had so much fun making it. And that's the biggest part about it. It was like, how do we tell a story about, you know, about a relationship but in a fun way? So, that was the thing was like, you're driving me crazy, whoever it is. So, I love it.

Wait, take it back. She said it was unexpected, unplanned. How how was that? How does that come about?

Yes. So, it wasn't like, oh, you're going to have, you know, a session today with such and such. It was like, oh, you know, Jazzy's in the studios. You want to do a session with him, you know, we told him about you, everything. And I'm like, yeah. Like, I don't know. I wasn't even expecting to like have a full song done. I just wanted to meet him and like see his vibe. But we ended up doing like a whole song, and he was really, you know, interested in working with me, and, you know, ditto. So, it just happened, yeah. That's love it.

Now, obviously, you got to work with Jazzy Pha. I'm curious to know who are like some of your dream collabs.

Geez. I feel like Missy Elliott. She's timeless. Nothing that she does can ever like not work to me. J. Cole would be really cool, like, you know, a cool type of record. I want to do a girls' anthem. I want to do a girls' anthem. Like independent women. Yes. But like with other females. Like with with other artists, like, like, say if we got like seven and like like a boy is mine, but not but like like what is Oh my god, that would be slappin'. Right?

Now, I'm curious to know. I love your character, Tiana. I think she's super dope. Um, but I read in an interview that you did that you had not a clue that she was bisexual until you got on set. Is that true?

So true. Not until probably that episode came about. Are you kidding? Yeah. You know, the next table read, I found out that this character was bisexual. So, I'm done. Yes. So, I was like, I don't know what to do. You know, I I had to talk to the writers and to the producers just to see like, okay, what What am I going to have to do? Yeah. And like, what is she, what is her, like, how is she? Like, you know what I mean? Tell me more about her because the fact that to make sense and connect the dots. Exactly. The fact that she's doing this, you know, there's something else about her. So, that's what I was mainly concerned about.

How do you think you were able to prepare for Tiana?

I just feel like, you know, they I talked to the writers and they were just like, it's about, you know, it's just a storyline that's a young girl and she's kind of going through a phase, and, and that's kind of how they brought it to me. And so, I just just from knowing friends, from knowing people, I understood that from them, you know what I mean? And I kind of added my own thing. And what I did was actually decide to make her bisexual because it keeps occurring. So, I don't think it's just like a fling type of thing. I think it's something that she's interested in.

So, from being on set, have you ever had a moment where you just like absolutely fan-girled over someone? And if so, who was it?

Oh my god. I think Mariah Carey. Because she's just like butterfly, like like she's like a princess, like, you know what I mean? So, just to see her in her essence and just seeing her um be there and like a senior at like one of the wrap parties and

What'd you say to her? Did you say anything at all?

No. I was just like, hi, um can I have a picture? You know, I'm like, I might as well just try. Right.

What'd she say?

I mean, she did. She took a picture with me.

Lastly, lastly, lastly, working with Terrence and Taraji. How was it? What did you learn?

I learned so much daily from them. They just they go about their characters and their decisions in such a unique way. And they just connect in a way that, you know, I just haven't seen personally. So, it's really cool to see them figure it out. Because for me, being new to the industry and everything, I thought all these people already have it figured out. They're they're pros. But to see them on set and be like, no, no, no, I don't want to do that. Wait, that doesn't feel right. It just gave me more confidence, like, oh, I can really figure it out. And that's a process to, you know, own.

Seraya, I wish you nothing but the best. You honestly, this is just the beginning for you. For real. Thank you so much for rocking with us here at Young Hollywood.

Thank you.