(NoHo Arts District, CA - February 9, 2017) Leading the newest installment of Fox's iconic 24 series, Corey Hawkins embraces the chance to present an original character to network television in 24: Legacy. Hawkins, who plays Army ranger Eric Carter on the show, also shares the challenges of distinguishing his role in a franchise with a longstanding history in the new issue of emmy magazine. The award-winning official publication of the Television Academy hits newsstands February 14.
The Straight Outta Compton alum who recently wrapped filming on the upcoming action-adventure film Kong: Skull Island, recognizes the significance and influence his new role has on its audience, including an existing fan base from the original 24, which starred Kiefer Sutherland as counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer. "The challenge is making sure that every single moment is honest, no matter what. It's doing Eric Carter justice. Not trying to fill Jack Bauer's shoes. Not trying to step into Kiefer's legacy," he says in the interview.
"A lot is riding on this," shares Fox Television Group's co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman of the highly anticipated new series, which debuted on Fox Super Bowl Sunday (February 5). "This is a treasured Fox series that we didn't bring back lightly." Sutherland declined to appear in the series but remains involved as an executive producer.
Hawkins signed on to the project with hopes of providing young black men with a relatable and imperfect hero on network television. He tells emmy, "Eric Carter is not a perfect guy. He has flaws. He can be an antihero, which is even more interesting. That's why I chose this instead of a film — it was like, 'This might be our only chance.' You know how trends go with television. Next year the networks might not be open to taking risks."
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
An in-depth look into Lifetime's Broad Focus, the network's major initiative dedicated to creating jobs for women and providing them with more opportunities to develop and create content.
As WGN America's acclaimed series Underground prepares to air its ten-episode second season on March 8, executive producer and performer John Legend discusses the importance of telling impactful stories and giving a voice to those that have been overlooked in the past.
With a long and diverse career as a professional actress, newly elected SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris is focused on building a strong union-member relationship. "Running on Empathy" delves into Carteris' efforts to improve the lives of SAG-AFTRA's 160,000 members based on many of her real-life experiences, including ageism, sexism and severe injury.
Writer-director Dustin Lance Black talks about his new eight-hour miniseries, When We Rise, premiering on ABC February 27 and chronicling real-life events of the LGBT movement that have transpired within the last four decades and concluding with the landmark 2015 Supreme Court decision to recognize same-sex marriage nationwide.
Readers can catch behind-the-scenes video of the cover shoot with Corey Hawkins on TelevisionAcademy.com.
Emmy, the official publication of the Television Academy, goes behind the scenes of the industry for a unique insider's view. It showcases the stunning scope of television and profiles the people who make TV happen, from the stars of top shows to the pros behind the cameras, covering programming trends and advances in technology. Honored consistently for excellence, emmy is a six-time Maggie Award winner as Best Trade Publication in Communications or the Arts and has collected 49 Maggies from the Western Publishing Association. Emmy is available on selected newsstands and at TelevisionAcademy.com for single-print and digital copies as well as subscriptions.
Download the press release here.
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Carla Schalman
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