If you don't know Brian Grazer, you at least know of his work. The veteran Hollywood producer has worked on films like "Splash," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Apollo 13," not to mention hit television shows including "Arrested Development," "Friday Night Lights" and, recently, "Empire." Grazer's body of work is impressive -- his projects have been nominated for 43 Academy Awards and 149 Emmys -- but he tells Oprah that "Empire" might in fact be his greatest success.
"I have to say, it's cooler and better than any other success I've had," he tells Oprah in the above video from "Super Soul Sunday."
"Empire" premiered in January on FOX and was the network's highest rated debut in years. Viewership kept increasing week after week, and celebrities such as Reba McEntire have been vocal about their obsession with the hip-hop drama. In other words, "Empire" has taken off, with its success even impressing its own executive producer.
"It was explosive," Grazer says. "It was immediate and explosive.... Beyond that it has this sort of awe factor -- like every week, three crazy things are going to happen with the characters -- it's sort of cool."
The actors playing those characters also bring weight to the series, from Terrence Howard to Taraji P. Henson. Grazer also credits their unique power and talent with contributing to the show's runaway success.
"It's got great actors that are Oscar-nominated-caliber actors," Grazer says. "It's very special."
Also in the interview: Grazer explains how he first met his producing partner, Ron Howard.
Grazer's full "Super Soul Sunday" interview airs Sunday, April 19, at 11 a.m. ET on OWN. You can also stream the interview live on Oprah.com/supersoulsunday or Facebook.com/supersoulsunday.
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