# Cookie Lyon > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cookie_Lyon > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cookie_Lyon.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_Lyon > Source revision: 1354743962 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Fictional character}} {{Use American English|date=March 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox soap character | series = [Empire](/source/Empire_(2015_TV_series)) | portrayer = [Taraji P. Henson](/source/Taraji_P._Henson) (adult)
[Ajiona Alexus](/source/Ajiona_Alexus) (as a teenager) | years = | first = "[Pilot](/source/Pilot_(Empire))" (2015) | last = "Home is on the Way" (2020) | creator = [Lee Daniels](/source/Lee_Daniels) and [Danny Strong](/source/Danny_Strong) | introducer = | image1 = File:Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon.png | imagesize1 = | imagealt1 = | alias = Loretha Holloway, Lo Lo{{cite web|url=http://fox17online.com/2015/03/31/the-inside-track-the-rise-of-empire-part-1/|title=The Inside Track: The Rise of EMPIRE Part 1|date=March 31, 2015|publisher=[Fox Broadcasting Company](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company)|access-date=April 1, 2015}} | occupation = Partner in Bossy Media
Co-Host of ''Tea Talk''
Partner in Lyon Family Management
CEO of Empire Enterprises
Head of A&R at Empire Entertainment
Partner in Lyon Dynasty
[Artist manager](/source/Artist_manager)
[Record producer](/source/Record_producer)
[Drug dealer](/source/Drug_dealing) | father = John Holloway | mother = Renee Holloway | sisters = {{ubl|Candace Holloway |Carol Holloway}} | spouse = [Lucious Lyon](/source/Lucious_Lyon) | sons = {{ubl|[Andre Lyon](/source/Andre_Lyon_(Empire))|[Jamal Lyon](/source/Jamal_Lyon)|[Hakeem Lyon](/source/Hakeem_Lyon)}} | daughters = | stepchildren = | granddaughters = {{unbulleted list|Bella Lyon|Princess Lyon}} | grandsons = Prince Lyon
Walker Lyon | nieces/nephews = {{ubl|Luther Holloway|Keisha Holloway|Tanya Holloway|Brianna|Franklin}} | cousins = {{ubl|Bunkie Williams|Jermel Stubbs}} }} '''Loretha "Cookie" Lyon''' (also '''Holloway''') is a fictional character from the American musical drama ''[Empire](/source/Empire_(2015_TV_series))'' on [Fox](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company). Portrayed by [Taraji P. Henson](/source/Taraji_P._Henson), Cookie is one of the main characters within the series, the [queen bee](/source/Queen_bee_(sociology)) and the wife of former drug dealer turned hip-hop mogul, [Lucious Lyon](/source/Lucious_Lyon) ([Terrence Howard](/source/Terrence_Howard)). At the beginning of the series, she gets released from prison and strikes out to lay claim to half of their multimillion-dollar record label, which was initially funded by her drug money. ==Storylines== In the [show's first episode](/source/Pilot_(Empire)), Cookie gets released from prison and immediately visits [Jamal](/source/Jamal_Lyon), her gay son ([Jussie Smollett](/source/Jussie_Smollett)), the only member of the family that has kept in touch with her. Cookie then confronts Lucious ([Terrence Howard](/source/Terrence_Howard)) demanding half of the company, but he refuses and instead offers her a seven-figure income and living arrangements. She quickly realizes that her youngest son Hakeem ([Bryshere Y. Gray](/source/Bryshere_Y._Gray)) wants nothing to do with her. The oldest and most qualified businessman, Andre ([Trai Byers](/source/Trai_Byers)), convinces Cookie to manage Jamal's career, which puts Jamal and Hakeem head to head, and results in Cookie and Lucious being at odds.{{Cite episode |credits= [Lee Daniels](/source/Lee_Daniels) (Director); Lee Daniels and [Danny Strong](/source/Danny_Strong) (Writers) |series= Empire |series-link= Empire (2015 TV series) |network= [FOX](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) |date= January 7, 2015 |season=1 |number= 1|language=en}} Cookie is devastated when her cousin Bunkie is murdered, and while she was in bed with Lucious Lyon, Lucious confesses to the murder in his sleep. During Season 1, Cookie also schemes to get Jamal to come out publicly during Hakeem's debut performance at Lucious' club. While that plan falls apart, Jamal ends up performing with Hakeem anyway. He later performs a song (You're so Beautiful) that reveals his sexuality to the public, infuriating Lucious. Cookie is later confronted by federal agents who want her to testify in front of a grand jury against the drug dealer that she ratted out to obtain her release who was Frank Gathers. In Season 2, after the arrest of Lucious, she attempts a [hostile takeover](/source/hostile_takeover) of Empire, but fails due to the investor siding with Lucious and Jamal, further damaging Jamal and Cookie's relationship. Frank Gathers then sends Jermel's severed head to Cookie and Carol. She tells Lucious to take care of it, which leads to Gathers being killed by his own goons. Cookie creates a new company with Hakeem named Lyon Dynasty (after the failed hostile takeover), which creates conflict with Lucious' Empire. After Jamal is shot by Freda Gatz, Frank Gathers' daughter, Cookie tries to fix the Lyon family's mistakes. In Season 3, further conflict occurs in the Lyon family as Rhonda (Andre's wife) is killed, Andre gets into trouble and Shyne attempts to eliminate one of her sons. Her family then starts to fall apart after the arrival of Giluana, Lucious' former lover, as well as the removal of Bella Lyon by child services. During the finale of Season 3, Cookie and her family are together once again at the Laviticus nightclub in Las Vegas, where Jamal performs 'When Cookie Met Lucious'. Lucious is involved in a car explosion, which leaves him with amnesia. In Season 4, Cookie takes over as CEO of Empire while Lucious is receiving 'help' from Nurse Claudia after the devastating explosion. Cookie has her suspicions when Claudia begins to inappropriately amuse Lucious, but eventually his memory returns and he kicks Claudia out of the house.{{Cite episode |credits= [Lee Daniels](/source/Lee_Daniels) (Director); [Danny Strong](/source/Danny_Strong) and [Ilene Chaiken](/source/Ilene_Chaiken) (Writers) |series= Empire |series-link= Empire (2015 TV series) |network= [FOX](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) |date= January 14, 2015 |season=1 |number= 2|language=en}} Eventually, Cookie and Lucious get remarried in the Season 4 finale. In the Season 5 premiere, it's revealed that two years passed since Cookie and Lucious lost Empire to Eddie Barker; the company is turned over to Jeff Kingsley after Eddie unexpectedly dies. Eventually, Lucious learns that Jeff is actually his son by Tracy Kingsley, a relationship he had before he married Cookie. In the Season 5 finale, Lucious has to temporarily leave New York City since he is wanted by the FBI. He asks Cookie to go with him, but she refuses and tells Lucious that he and Empire aren't good for her. She tells Lucious about the affair she had with Damon Cross and leaves, while Lucious gets on the helicopter and leaves New York City. In the Season 6 premiere, it's learned that six months has passed since Cookie and Lucious separated. Cookie and Lucious get divorced again later in Season 6. They reunite in the series finale. ==Creation and development== Executive producer [Lee Daniels](/source/Lee_Daniels) revealed that Cookie was loosely based on the women in his life including his sister as well as [Joan Collins](/source/Joan_Collins)' ''[Dynasty](/source/Dynasty_(1981_TV_series))'' character, [Alexis Colby](/source/Alexis_Colby). Cookie will stop at nothing to get what she wants and she will cause "havoc" along the way.{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/612344/why-empire-is-different-lee-daniels-talks-real-life-experiences-that-helped-create-the-show|title=How Lee Daniels' Real-Life Experiences Helped Create Empire|date=January 7, 2015|first=Lauren|last=Piester|work=[E!](/source/E!)|publisher=[NBCUniversal Cable](/source/NBCUniversal_Cable)|access-date=January 9, 2015}} Henson said in an interview with ''[TV Guide](/source/TV_Guide)'', that Cookie is the "hood version of Mama Rose from ''[Gypsy](/source/Gypsy_(musical))''." ===Casting and portrayal=== On February 26, 2014, it was announced that [Taraji P. Henson](/source/Taraji_P._Henson), best known for her [Academy Award](/source/Academy_Award)-nominated performance in the 2008 film, ''[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button](/source/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film))'' and her most recent stint on the [CBS](/source/CBS) drama, ''[Person of Interest](/source/Person_of_Interest_(TV_series))'' had been cast in the role of Cookie Lyon. After being released from a 17-year prison stint, Cookie challenges her husband Lucious for half ''Empire'' Entertainment, which was initially launched with money Cookie made from selling drugs.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/taraji-p-henson-nabs-female-683622|title=Taraji P. Henson Nabs Female Lead in Fox's Lee Daniels Hip-Hop Drama 'Empire'|access-date=October 28, 2014|date=February 26, 2014|work=[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)|publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media)|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley}} Knowing they would need well established actors to carry the series, executives at Fox reached out to Henson. Henson who had just ended her stint on ''Person of Interest'' in 2013 said she was done with television. However, Henson's manager sent her the script for ''Empire'' anyway.{{cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2015/01/07/empire-fox-lee-daniels/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107193104/http://insidetv.ew.com/2015/01/07/empire-fox-lee-daniels/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 7, 2015|title='Empire': Inside Fox's ambitious, groundbreaking musical soap|first=Tim|last=Stack|date=January 7, 2015|magazine=[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)|publisher=[Time Inc.](/source/Time_Inc.)|access-date=January 7, 2015}} [Lee Daniels](/source/Lee_Daniels) said that Henson was who he "envisioned" when he first thought of the character. Daniels recalled that she actually wanted the title role in his 2009 film, ''[Precious](/source/Precious_(film))'', a role that later went to [Gabourey Sidibe](/source/Gabourey_Sidibe), for which he said "she's out of her mind."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/arts/television/the-cast-and-director-of-empire-discuss-their-new-show.html?_r=1|title=The Cast and Director of 'Empire' Discuss Their New Show|date=December 24, 2014|first=Dave|last=Itzkoff|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|access-date=January 9, 2015}} Actress and comedian [Mo'Nique](/source/Mo'Nique) who also co-starred in the film ''Precious'' as the mother of the title character (portrayed by Sidibe)—for which she won an [Academy Award](/source/Academy_Award)—revealed that Daniels had also offered her the role of Cookie, but the network rejected the idea accusing her of being "difficult."{{cite web|url=http://www.insideedition.com/entertainment/9811-monique-says-lee-daniels-wanted-her-to-play-cookie-on-tv-hit-empire|title=Mo'Nique Says Lee Daniels Wanted Her To Play Cookie On TV Hit 'Empire'|date=February 27, 2015|work=[Inside Edition](/source/Inside_Edition)|publisher=CBS Television Distribution|access-date=February 28, 2015}} Cookie "challenges me and I like that, I really do... I remember picking up the script and it scared the bejesus out of me. I was scared of Cookie," Henson explained. She knew the content would "piss off" a lot of viewers, but added, "isn't that what art is supposed to do?"{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/612084/taraji-p-henson-on-her-new-empire-character-oh-we-re-going-to-piss-off-so-many-people|title=Taraji P. Henson on Her New Empire Character: "Oh, We're Going to Piss Off So Many People"|date=January 7, 2015|first1=Chris|last1=Harnic|first2=Lori|last2=Parker|work=[E!](/source/E!)|publisher=[NBCUniversal Cable](/source/NBCUniversal_Cable)|access-date=January 9, 2015}} "I know I'm going to have to probably dig into some ugly places in my life to bring the character to life," Henson remarked.{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/kelleylcarter/taraji-p-henson-is-finally-having-her-moment-with-empire#.ouPLvWB6L|title=Taraji P. Henson Is Finally Having Her Moment With "Empire"|date=January 6, 2015|first=Kelley L|last=Carter|work=[BuzzFeed](/source/BuzzFeed)|publisher=BuzzFeed, Inc.|access-date=January 9, 2015}} ===Personality=== {{quote box |width = 25em |border = 1px |align = left |bgcolor = #ccffcc |fontsize = 88% |quote = "It's this combination of [Eleanor of Aquitaine](/source/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine) and [Mama Rose](/source/Rose_Thompson_Hovick) on crack meets [Lee Daniels](/source/Lee_Daniels)' sister." |salign = right |source = [Danny Strong](/source/Danny_Strong) on Cookie{{cite magazine|title=Empire|first=Tim|last=Stack|magazine=[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)|publisher=[Time Inc.](/source/Time_Inc.)|date=March 6, 2015|issue=1353|department=Cover Story}}}}With the announcement of Henson's casting, the character of Cookie was described as a "total badass." "She's a lot of things," Henson said of her character in an interview with ''[E!](/source/E!)''. Cookie is "very complicated and complex," the actress stated. Henson hailed Cookie as her "hero." In an interview with the [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press), she described Cookie as "the truth." Cookie is a "strong" woman who puts her "family first." Cookie "doesn't compromise at all? never herself, and never her truth." The actress admits that Cookie says what Henson might not have the guts to say.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/taraji-henson-cookie-heart-tvs-empire-28001794|title=Taraji P. Henson as Cookie at Heart of TV's 'Empire'|date=January 5, 2015|first=Sandy|last=Cohen|publisher=[Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press)|access-date=January 9, 2015}} Cookie is a "tell-it-like-it-is everywoman." Henson described Cookie as "every actor's dream."{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/empire-fox-lee-daniels-1091355.aspx|title=Lee Daniels Builds a Soapy New Hip-Hop Empire for Fox|date=December 31, 2014|first=Michael|last=Logan|author-link=Michael Logan (journalist)|access-date=January 3, 2015|work=[TV Guide](/source/TV_Guide)|publisher=[CBS Interactive](/source/CBS_Interactive)}} "There's no mask" Henson said of Cookie. She is "raw nerve." Henson admitted that she can identify with Cookie's "mentality" because "I am from the 'hood.' It wasn't upper middle class; it was lower middle class." While Henson's life may not have been as bad as some of her peers, "I went to school with those kids. That's where I lived." She has compassion for a person like Cookie because "I was around it, so I can't judge" she said. Like Henson, who lost her son's father three years after giving birth, Cookie "did whatever she had to do" to support her family. Henson said viewers could identify with Cookie simply because "She's just real." Cookie is not "malicious" but she "shoots straight from the hip" and she's usually right. Henson admitted that she often has to "rein [Cookie] in" to keep from becoming "over the top" in her portrayal. As an actress, because Henson is so "uninhibited," the writers tend to write her "really big." Henson said "I make a conscious effort to sit on it" because if she always played it big, Cookie becomes a "stereotype and no one cares."{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3685593/empire-cookie-taraji-p-henson/|title=Here's the Real Reason Why Taraji P. Henson Almost Turned Down Empire|date=January 28, 2015|first=Nolan|last=Feeney|magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))|publisher=[Time Inc.](/source/Time_Inc.)|access-date=February 12, 2015}} ====Fashion==== A big part of the character is Cookie's fashion, which Henson has quite a lot of input in. "They've given me a lot of leeway. I love dressing up, as you can see, I love to play," said Henson. For the character, when Cookie first comes out of prison, "she is a bit dated" in her fashion sense, according to Henson. However, "You'll get to see her grow, not only in her art, but also in her style." Ayanna Prescod of Vibe Magazine commented, "Cookie is fierce, caring and extremely powerful. Her wardrobe is filled with fur, animal prints, golds and sparkles. After only one premiere show, women are asking how to look like Cookie."{{cite web|title=9 Fashion Staples You Need Inspired By Cookie Lyon From 'Empire'|url=http://www.vibe.com/2015/01/9-fashion-staples-you-need-inspired-by-cookie-lyon-from-empire/|first=Ayanna|last=Prescod|date=January 14, 2015|work=[Vibe](/source/Vibe_(magazine))|publisher=Spin Media|access-date=June 12, 2015}} After her time in prison, Cookie needed to reclaim what she put into Empire. In order to "be a boss woman", Cookie sets up a wardrobe that allows her to "look like one."{{cite web|title=Cookie Lyon's Empire Wardrobe Is Basically a Dream Closet of Leopard, Foxy Furs, and Tight Skirts|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/cookie-lyons-wardrobe-empire-stars-furs-miniskirts-201542|first=Candace|last=Amos|date=February 4, 2015|work=[Us Weekly](/source/Us_Weekly)|publisher=[Wenner Media LLC](/source/Wenner_Media_LLC)|access-date=June 12, 2015}} Empire costume designer [Rita McGhee](/source/Rita_McGhee) says of the character: "She is everywoman...She wears a suit, but it's a leopard suit and she wears it with some thigh-high boots. She owns the armor of her fashion. How shes feels inside matches her outside." McGhee also stated that Cookie's sense of fashion was inspired by Michelle Obama.{{cite web|title=Taraji P. Henson builds fashion 'Empire'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/style/2015/03/10/taraji-p-henson-builds-fashion-empire-as-cookie/24708587/|first=Arienne|last=Thompson|date=March 11, 2015|work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)|publisher=Gannett Company, Inc.|access-date=June 12, 2015}} Henson said of the character's immense and varied wardrobe, "It's like fashion on crack! It's high drama, I get to dress up and wear things I can't afford or that I just wouldn't buy because I'm cheap."{{cite web|title='Empire' Star Taraji P. Henson On Cookie's Fierce Fashion and Sassiest Catchphrases|url=http://www.etonline.com/tv/159851_taraji_p_henson_on_her_fierce_fashion_on_empire_and_favorite_cookie_catchphrases/|first=Denny|last=Directo|date=February 15, 2015|work=[Entertainment Tonight](/source/Entertainment_Tonight)|publisher=[CBS Television Distribution](/source/CBS_Television_Distribution)|access-date=June 12, 2015}} Henson referred to Cookie as "an animal" out for what belongs to her, and stated that her love of fur and leopard prints relates to that theme.{{cite web|title=The Empire Cast on the Bib, Cookie's Style, and More at Their Very Lively Panel|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/03/empire-cast-on-the-the-bib.html|first=Soo|last=Youn|date=March 13, 2015|work=Vulture|publisher=New York Media, LLC|access-date=June 12, 2015}} ==Reception== {{quote box |width = 25em |border = 1px |align= right |bgcolor= #ccffcc |fontsize = 88% |quote = "On the Lee Daniels-created series, she operates as if she has something to prove with every step of her stilettos, every word that leaves her lips, and every silent but symbolic glare. The result is the kind of performance that makes critics and Hollywood insiders take notice." |salign = right |source = Kelley L. Carter on Henson's portrayal. }}[[Image:Taraji Henson 2009.jpg|thumb|170px|left| Henson has been nominated for two [Primetime Emmy Awards](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Lead_Actress_in_a_Drama_Series) for her performance.]] The character of Cookie has been well received, and Henson was immediately praised for her portrayal. The character has drawn several comparisons to [Alexis Carrington](/source/Alexis_Carrington), the femme fatale famously played by [Joan Collins](/source/Joan_Collins) on [Aaron Spelling](/source/Aaron_Spelling)'s 1980s prime time soap opera, ''[Dynasty](/source/Dynasty_(1981_TV_series))''.{{cite web|url=http://daytimeconfidential.com/2015/01/08/almost-10-million-tune-premiere-foxs-new-super-soap-empire/|title=Almost 10 Million Tune in For Premiere of Fox's New Super Soap Empire|date=January 8, 2015|first=Jamey|last=Giddens|work=Daytime Confidential|publisher=[Zap2it](/source/Zap2it)|access-date=February 19, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/iramadison/bad-bitch-contest-cookie-in-first-place#.utnQbLWZQ|title=All 38 Of Cookie's Fierce Looks In "Empire"|date=January 8, 2015|first=Ira III|last=Madison|work=[BuzzFeed](/source/BuzzFeed)|access-date=February 19, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20150106_TV_s__Empire__arrives_with_much_promise.html|title=TV's 'Empire' arrives with much promise |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219061420/http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20150106_TV_s__Empire__arrives_with_much_promise.html |archive-date=February 19, 2015 |date=January 6, 2015|first=David|last=Hiltbrand|work=[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer)|publisher=Interstate General Media|access-date=February 19, 2015}} Sandy Cohen described Cookie as the "heart" of the series. Tim Stack of ''[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)'' said that "In Henson's hands, Cookie becomes a hot-blooded mother lion in [Louboutins](/source/Christian_Louboutin), sure to be the show's most quoted character." ''[BuzzFeed](/source/BuzzFeed)'' said Henson "delivers one of her finest performances to date" as Cookie. While Henson usually shared the screen with big-name actors, Kelley L. Carter said ''Empire'' is "most certainly Henson's moment." Carter praised Henson's portrayal of Cookie as well as the actor's previous characters and said that "Her characters consistently feel like real people the audience actually knows, thanks to the measured way in which she portrays black women who've endured hardships." With Henson, Cookie doesn't become a "caricature" but instead is a "complicated woman who is far from one-dimensional," thanks to the "emotional sensitivity" that Henson brings to the character. "If [Samuel L. Jackson](/source/Samuel_L._Jackson) had a baby with [Bette Davis](/source/Bette_Davis), it would be Taraji", says [Jussie Smollett](/source/Jussie_Smollett), who plays Henson's son Jamal in the series. He continued, "She's the perfect leading lady." Crime novelist [Attica Locke](/source/Attica_Locke) joined the writing team after the Pilot and admitted that it was because of Cookie. "I felt like her character was unprecedented in that I'd never seen a woman or a mother like this on TV, so full of trouble and saying all the wrong things and yet you understand where she's coming from."{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/empire-are-we-ready-for-a-black-dynasty-9948972.html|title=Empire: Are we ready for a black 'Dynasty'?|date=December 29, 2014|first=Sarah|last=Hughes|work=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)|publisher=Independent Print Limited|access-date=February 19, 2015}} ''[TV Guide](/source/TV_Guide)'s'' [Michael Logan](/source/Michael_Logan_(journalist)) said Henson played Cookie with "fire and fabulosity." Jamey Giddens from ''Daytime Confidential'' raved about Henson's portrayal of the "insurmountable" Cookie and said "just go ahead and hand the next six seasons worth of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series Emmys to Henson." Giddens also appreciated the character's grit and joked, "Cookie is no Claire Huxtable." Dave Wiengand of ''[The Seattle Times](/source/The_Seattle_Times)'' said Henson as Cookie is "biggest magnet in the cast. With her claw-like fake nails and exaggerated wigs, Cookie's a force to be reckoned with, both by the other characters and the actors who play them."{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/television/2025339152_empirefoxxml.html|title='Empire' rocks on Fox, clichés and all|access-date=January 9, 2015|date=December 29, 2014|work=[The Seattle Times](/source/The_Seattle_Times)|publisher=[The Seattle Times Company](/source/The_Seattle_Times_Company)|last=Wiegand|first=Dave}} Alyssa Rosenburg of ''[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)'' said that Cookie is TV's "best new female character" of 2015.{{cite news|title='Empire's' Cookie Lyon is TV's best new female character|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/03/18/empires-cookie-lyon-is-tvs-best-new-female-character/|first=Alyssa|last=Rosenburg|date=March 18, 2015|access-date=March 18, 2015|newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)|publisher=Nash Holdings LLC}} Jozen Cummings of ''[The New York Post](/source/The_New_York_Post)'' noted Cookie Lyon's similarities to real-life [Sugar Hill Records](/source/Sugar_Hill_Records_(hip_hop_label)) co-founder [Sylvia Robinson](/source/Sylvia_Robinson).{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2015/03/08/was-empire-inspired-by-these-real-hip-hop-stars/|title=Was 'Empire' inspired by these real hip-hop stars?|first=Jozen |last=Cummings|access-date=June 12, 2015|date=March 8, 2015|work=[New York Post](/source/New_York_Post)|publisher=News Corp}} In May 2015, Henson won the [Critics' Choice Award](/source/Critics'_Choice_Television_Award) for [Best Actress in a Drama Series](/source/Critics'_Choice_Television_Award_for_Best_Actress_in_a_Drama_Series) for her portrayal of Cookie.{{cite web|url=http://daytimeconfidential.com/2015/06/01/empires-taraji-p-henson-wins-best-actress-critics-choice-awards|title=Empire's Taraji P. Henson Wins Best Actress at Critics' Choice Awards (Full List)|date=June 1, 2015|first=Luke|last=Kerr|work=Daytime Confidential|publisher=Confidential Media, Inc. (with [SAY Media](/source/SAY_Media))|access-date=June 1, 2015}} She was also nominated for a [Primetime Emmy Award](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award) for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to [Viola Davis](/source/Viola_Davis) for her role in the [ABC](/source/ABC_(U.S._TV_network)) [legal drama](/source/legal_drama) series ''[How To Get Away With Murder](/source/How_To_Get_Away_With_Murder)''.{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/tv/la-et-st-emmy-awards-2015-list-nominees-winners-story.html |title=Emmy nominations 2015: Complete list of nominees |first=Tracy |last=Brown |date=July 16, 2015 |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |access-date=July 17, 2015 }} In 2016, Henson won the [Golden Globe Award](/source/Golden_Globe_Award) for [Best Actress in a drama series](/source/Golden_Globe_Award_for_Best_Actress_-_Television_Series_Drama).{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2016-golden-globes/taraji-p-henson-wins-best-actress-in-a-tv-series-drama/|title=Taraji P. Henson Wins Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama|date=January 10, 2016|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|access-date=January 17, 2016}} Later that year, Henson was nominated again for another Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to [Tatiana Maslany](/source/Tatiana_Maslany) for her role in the [BBC America](/source/BBC_America) [sci-fi](/source/sci-fi) drama series ''[Orphan Black](/source/Orphan_Black)''.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/07/14/2016-emmy-nominees/87033894/|title=List: 2016 Primetime Emmy nominees |first=Jenny |last=Cohen |date=July 14, 2016 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |access-date=September 21, 2016}} ==References== {{reflist|30em}} ==Further reading== *{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/arts/television/cookie-is-an-empire-builder-for-fox.html |title=Cookie Is an 'Empire' Builder for Fox |first=Gilbert |last=Cruz |date=March 13, 2015 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) }} ==External links== *[https://www.imdb.com/character/ch0499770/ Cookie Lyon] at the [Internet Movie Database](/source/Internet_Movie_Database) {{Empire}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Cookie}} Category:Empire (2015 TV series) Category:African-American characters in television Category:Fictional musicians Category:Fictional drug dealers Category:Television characters introduced in 2015 Category:Fictional characters from Philadelphia Category:Fictional characters from New York City Category:American female characters in television --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cookie Lyon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_Lyon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_Lyon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.