Starz Creator Courtney Kemp Heads to Netflix to Amplify LGBTQIA Voices
After a 7-year stint at Starz working with the likes of Mark Canton and 50 Cent, showrunner and producer Courtney Kemp is preparing for a new challenge, and many new projects, over at Netflix, where she has just taken a multiyear contract.
Kemp is known best for creating Power, a show about an elite New York nightclub owner who moonlights as the kingpin of a drug operation. The show ended in 2020 ahead of the end of her contract, but she's leaving them with a slew of spinoff series that will keep her characters alive.
As for what we can expect from her now that she's with the streaming giant Netflix, it's difficult to predict. Kemp's shows are not restricted to one genre, and Netflix is known for being the most permissive of all the streaming platforms. However, when The Hollywood Reporter asked why she ended up signing with them, she had this to say:
"I'm very committed to BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and women. Those are the areas where I'm committed to telling stories and amplifying voices - which isn't to say that if you're a straight white man, you can't have a great story. But I'm pretty sure you'll get that on [the air]. That door will open to you. Whereas if you are a queer woman of color, maybe people aren't listening as much. They're starting to listen more."
So, while the genre may be up in the air, we do know that her shows will definitely feature a host of diverse representations and perspectives. As she told the Reporter: "If you make a show about people who are college-age in 2021 and everyone is straight, you're an a**hole. You're an a**hole if you make that show."
"I want to challenge my audience," she continued. "I want to be pushed or to push people. I love honest, frank talk about race, gender and sexuality. It's not a small thing to me."
Many were surprised when a sexual scene between two gay characters appeared in an episode of Power Book II: Ghost about a year ago, including Snoop Dogg, who made headlines when he took a screenshot of the scene and sent it to co-producer 50 Cent.. While it was later clarified that the rapper's response wasn't one of disgust, but simply surprise, there were others who definitely made some vocal protests. Even still, Kemp reported that the reactions were mostly positive, which is an encouraging sign for television moving forward.
"There were a lot more supporters than detractors. We did get negative pushback from the members of the audience that were like, "What is this, Empire?" For sure. Look at Lil Nas X and how many people come for him - how dangerous it's been for him. We've got to keep pushing. We've got to keep pushing on every level."
Read the full interview on The Hollywood Reporter's website.
