Derek Luke is heading into the territory of the most-booked actor in show business as he’s doing TV and movies and seemingly all at the same time. Not only did he make a guest appearance on Empire, he’s starring in the Direct TV Audience network show Rogue and he stars in the Self/Less alongside Ryan Reynolds. He enjoyed the action scenes in Self/Less more than anything else, doing his own stunts in the movie.
“That was part of the condition of taking this role. It wasn’t the huge size of it, I just really enjoy action. I was talking to the director and he said he hadn’t directed and I hadn’t really acted in any action movies and action movies is what I love to watch. Sitting down as a kid and eating crabs and watching Kung-fu movies and I wanted to do my own action. So I did all my own stunts,” said Luke.
Luke broke the top of his pinky shooting Self/Less but says, despite the surgery it required, he enjoyed it.
“It felt good throwing that punch,” he laughs.
As far as Empire is concerned, Taraji P. Henson may be moving on from Malcolm, Empire’s head of security played by Luke. If you remember, Malcolm got a sweet gig out of town, and Adam Rodriguezhas signed on to play Cookie’s Season 2 love interest. But don’t count Malcolm out just yet.
“I would love to come back to Empire. Right now it’s about working out the schedule. That show, that cast is so much fun. That was the first soap opera I watched,” Luke says.
Was Luke handpicked for the role as rumor had it?
“I asked her, I heard this rumor about some list. And she said she chose me. I want to thank her because not only did she choose me, she chose Terrence, so she has a good eye.”
Click the link above to hear the entire interview.
