( CNN ) Terrence Howard would like a little bit more reality on his hit show `` Empire . '' The actor , who plays hip-hop recording mogul Lucious Lyon on the series , recently told Entertainment Weekly that 's he 's `` mad that we do n't say n****r in the show . '' `` Why is TV showing something different from the reality of the world ? '' Howard asked . `` Why is there a thing called censorship that stop people from hearing everyday talk ? We use n***** every day . It 's become part of a conversation . Why are n't we using it in the show ? '' He expanded on his thoughts during an appearance Monday on `` Access Hollywood . '' `` Well , I believe if we 're gon na really tackle racism , if we 're gon na tackle bigotry , if we 're gon na tackle homophobia , we need to attack it dead-on . You do n't just sit up , you know , let 's give a little aspirin right here ; no , we need to take the sutures , open up the problem and reach in and grab it , '' the actor explained . `` And since n****r is used in almost every conversation in most black neighborhoods , why is it that we do n't hear it on TV anymore ? Are white people afraid of it ? Did they create the word ? But if this is something that we use on a daily basis , then let 's address what it really means . '' And what does the word mean to the `` Empire '' star ? `` Oh , it could mean love ; sometimes it 's a noun ; sometimes it 's a verb ; sometimes it 's an adjective ; it 's all , there 's a spirit attached to it , you know , '' Howard said . `` My dad uses it . My brothers use it . I use it . I 'm sitting here , I 'm hoping maybe I wo n't use it with my son , but I do n't know if I 'll be honest if I did n't use it with my son . You know , my friends use it . I call my white friends 'what 's up , my n**** ? ' You know , that 's , it has taken on this term to us , but it 's blown out of proportion outside the world , so I do n't know . '' But co-star Taraji P. Henson , who plays his ex-wife , Cookie Lyon , is not feeling it . When TMZ asked whether she believed the Fox series should be using the word , she responded , `` Naw , you might piss people off . '' David Rambo , one of the show 's writers , told TMZ that as a white man , he did n't think he could make the call on whether to use the word . Context is everything , he said . `` It 's a powerful word , '' Rambo told TMZ . `` It 's such a huge issue . It came up a lot in our writers room . ''
The actor said he 'd like to see the word used on his series . Comment: Howard 's co-star Taraji P. Henson disagrees .