‘Empire’ Star Grace Gealey Explains Cookie and Anika’s Complicated Relationship

Grace Gealey’s Anika is one of the few Empire characters who isn’t a member of the Lyon family, but somehow always ends up in the Lyon drama.

The show is filled with interesting relationship dynamics, one of the most interesting being between Anika, Lucious Lyon’s ex-fiancee, and Cookie Lyon, Lucious’ ex-wife. Season one brought fans plenty of catty moments between the two, but this season the ladies have had to put their personal feelings about each other aside and work together toward a common goal: Taking Lucious down. Gealey sums up the pair’s season two relationship with a simple phrase: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“As much as she dislikes Cookie and dislikes the way that Cookie came into the mix, her and Cookie have very similar goals and it’s to get what it is that you feel like you deserve, and then, to put Lucious in a down place,” Gealey explained to The Hollywood Reporter. “They both know what it’s like to be a woman scorned by Lucious. I love how in the first season, Cookie says, “Nothing good can come from loving you.” … They both know what it’s like to love this man and be fiercely hurt by this man and so it’s enough for Anika to swallow her pride and say, “OK, we got off on the wrong foot. I understand that we may not see a lot of things eye to eye, but on this, we see eye to eye. Be with me in this moment and let’s get what it is we want to get out of this.”

We’re loving the new dynamic between the two most powerful women on the show and as long as they keep those schemes and one-liners coming, we’re here for the team-up.

Catch new episodes of Empire Wednesdays at 9pm on FOX.

Photo Credit: FOX

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