AceShowbiz - Lee Daniels has publicly expressed his disdain for his experience working on "Empire" for FOX. While promoting his new Netflix horror film "The Deliverance", Daniels described his time on the show as "horrible" and "the worst experience" of his career.

Despite the negative experience, Daniels acknowledges that the financial rewards from "Empire" allowed him to support his children's education. The series garnered rave reviews and high ratings, propelling Daniels to new levels of fame and influence in Hollywood.

Daniels began his career in independent filmmaking and had achieved success with films such as "Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire" and "The Butler". He was intrigued by the idea of transitioning to broadcast TV, curious about the experience of working within a studio system. However, he found the process of answering to executives stifling.

Daniels has previously shared his frustrations with FOX's human resources department, where he was cautioned against using certain words and touching people on set. He felt that these restrictions hampered his creative process and made him fearful of being himself.

Despite his negative experience on "Empire", Daniels has continued to work with studios. For Netflix, he recently directed "The Deliverance", but expressed some frustrations with the studio's emphasis on viewer engagement rather than artistic integrity.

Despite the setbacks, Daniels remains committed to independent filmmaking, which offers him greater creative freedom. He admits to feeling a bit "sold out" when working on Netflix films, recognizing the limitations imposed by the focus on immediate audience engagement.

Daniels' experience on "Empire" highlights the challenges that creators can face when navigating the complexities of studio systems. While the financial rewards may be substantial, the artistic compromises and creative restrictions can take a toll on filmmakers.