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Trai Byers Wants To Leave ‘Empire’ — Will Andre Lyon Die On Fox Hit Series?

By Shaunee Flowers
Published on: 08:54 PST, Mar 3, 2016

Has Trai Byers created his own spoiler for Empire? Trai Byers wants to leave the Fox hit series according to Page Six and a recent temper tantrum may have cost the classically trained actor his job. The gossip site says Byers has been acting like a diva on set recently and is upset that his role as Andre Lyon just isn’t big enough. Will Byers end up leaving the show to pursue bigger acting jobs after allegedly exploding on the Empire set about his character’s dwindling role?

“Trai wants out,” claims a Page Six 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.”

Trai is definitely not the star of Empire, which boasts a huge cast of well-known actors including Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. Apparently, that doesn’t sit well with Byers, who has watched the careers of his TV brothers skyrocket. Jussie Smollett and Bryshere Gray were relatively unknown when cast for the parts of Jamal and Hakeem Lyon. Now, as the mid-season premiere of season 2 looms, Smollett and Gray have become superstars, while Trai Byers has become part of the ensemble cast, it seems.

Trai may be disappointed with his current role on Empire because he never seems to have the spotlight shine on him. As part of a musical family and with many fans following the Fox hit for the music as much as for the storyline, Byers is left out of the musical aspect since his character is a numbers guy and most of his story arc has to do with his battle with bipolar and Lucious Lyon’s disapproval because of his illness.

Empire fans are looking forward to watching Andre Lyon deal with the aftermath of his wife Rhonda’s death. A recent trailer for the show hints at a total breakdown for Andre, who not only lost Rhonda but also his unborn child when a masked man pushed her to her death. Naturally, the Lyon family will want answers about who the killer may be.

Season 2 resumes on March 30 and much of the filming is already completed, so when will Trai make his exit if that is really the case? The Page Six source said, “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.

“He thinks he has the acting chops of Taraji and Terrence. 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.”

They also claim another source is weighing in on the Trai Byers problem. “Trai threw a temper tantrum during filming in the past few weeks, saying, ‘I don’t get to do enough, I might leave,'” according to the source. “But producers called his bluff and said, ‘Fine if you’re not happy, we don’t need you.’ 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.”

Right now, Empire is wrapping up filming for season 2 and has already been renewed for season 3. Will Trai Byers still be a part of the show when it returns for more music industry drama? There is reason to believe Byers won’t be back or maybe will be on a hiatus at least. Empire writers have killed off characters in the past but never one as big as Andre. Rather than end him for good, they could always send the oldest Lyon brother off to an extended vacation in a mental hospital. It might do him some good.

So far, neither Trai Byers nor Fox are commenting on his possible firing. Empire returns on March 30 for the second half of season two.

[Jason Merritt/Getty Images]

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