Seems like the drama behind the scenes of Empire is affecting the show.
According to Page Six, Trai Byers, who plays Lucious Lyon’s eldest son, Andre Lyon, is trying to leave the series.
According to their sources, Byers isn’t happy on the show because he’s not getting enough attention he thinks he deserves. “Trai wants out,” says an insider. “He feels that he studied at Yale and he’s a ‘true thespian’ … The character is beneath him. He has an idea of himself as being this big Shakespearean actor.”
While Byers was excited to have landed the role on Empire when the show first debuted, sources said he doesn’t agree with the direction the show’s taking. “At first, being on Empire was major for him. But he feels his character is not as important this season, and he hates not being the star,” said a source. “He thinks he has the acting chops of Taraji [P. Henson] and Terrence [Howard]. He doesn’t get how the show benefits him, and he feels he has way too much talent when he’s not the star by any means.”
Another insider adds, “Trai threw a temper tantrum during filming in the past few weeks, saying, ‘I don’t get to do enough, I might leave.’ But producers called his bluff and said, ‘Fine, if you’re not happy, we don’t need you.’” The source continues, “He thinks he is a brilliant guy who deserves a better role, but he’s hardly one of the most popular or dynamic actors on the show. He also fired all his reps for not getting him big movie roles.”
