of his receipts include directing Monster’s Ball, which won Halle Berry the Best Actress Oscar in 2002, and Precious, which won Mo’Nique Best Supporting Actress in 2010. Historically, he introduced the world to a Black gay character, Jamal Lyons, played by Jusse Smollett, on the television blockbuster series Empire, which he co-created. Subscribe to Native Son’s newsletter for more news, information, and conversations about Black gay and queer everything.Daniels is not afraid to shift the narrative.