‘Empire’s’ Adam Rodriguez on How Laz Fell for Cookie’s ‘Tough Charm’

“He finds himself changing in the process because of the thing that changes everybody, and that’s love,” guest star tells TheWrap

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Chuck Hodes/Fox

“Empire” guest star Adam Rodriguez believes his character, Laz Delgado, became a good person thanks to the power of love.

“His relationship with Cookie starts out as one thing and then becomes something else,” Rodriguez told TheWrap. “He finds himself changing in the process because of the thing that changes everybody, and that’s love.”

On the hit Fox drama, Delgado plays the love interest to Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). But in a shocking twist we learn he is a member of the very gang that is extorting her and kidnapped Hakeem.

While Rodriguez was not privy to how his character’s storyline would play out early on, he says that he always played Delgado as though he really did grow to love Cookie.

“I really do feel like that was the deal,” he said. “Laz showed up, had very clear intentions on taking advantage of Cookie, and then all of a sudden got caught up in this tough charm of hers.”

Rodriguez, who rose to fame on shows like “CSI: Miami” and films including “Magic Mike” and its 2015 sequel, also said that he enjoyed how success has not gone to the “Empire” crews’ heads.

“They’re still enjoying the work that they’re doing,” he said. “I think what can happen on shows sometimes when they have the success that ‘Empire’ is having is you start to micromanage. You start to over-examine every minute detail to the point that you start taking away from whatever that magic was in the first place.”

This week’s episode will see Cookie learn the truth about Delgado’s gang affiliation, and Rodriguez says his character will try to do the right thing.

“You can expect to find out whether or not Laz started trying to fix the sitaution soon enough,” he said.

“Empire” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox.

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