Grace Gealey Dishes About Education & Fighting Taraji P Henson: We had a blast.

Empire has taken over the world and catapulted the stars into the spotlight overnight. One of the show’s most notable cast member Grace Gealey (who we hear his now secretly engaged to Trai Byers), plays Anika Calhoun, and is gracing the cover of Cliché magazine. Grace opens up about the importance of education to her and how she landed the role on the groundbreaking television series and of course that long awaited brawl between her character and the infamous, Cookie Lyon.

Grace shared with Cliché how important education is to her family and she’s actually not the only woman in her family who’s well known.

Education was instilled in me at a young age by my grandparents, Harry and Theoline McCoy. My grandfather’s aunt, Flora Robinson, was the first female teacher in the Cayman Islands, and my grandmother, Theoline, became a well-renowned educator who made such an impact on the country, people called her ‘Teacher’ until the day she passed. Gramma would allow us the luxury of a few cartoon shows, but shortly after, we were required to do something that stimulated our minds.

Looks like her grandmother knew what she was doing by helping Grace discover her creative side. Grace later went on obtain her MFA in acting from University of California, Irvine and was on the path to become a drama professor until she was encouraged by guest director Tamara Harvey, to become a full-time actress.

[READ MORE ON THE NEXT PAGE.]