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Is The ‘Empire’ Ship Sinking? See Which ‘Empire’ Star Is Threatening To Leave The Show

By Meaghan Ellis

From the archive: published Mar 3, 2016, 10 years ago. Details may have changed since.

Empire fans are expecting drama to unfold when the show returns on Mar. 30, but conflicts behind the scenes may capture the spotlight first. Apparently, there’s reportedly one Empire star threatening to leave the show.

According to Enstarz, Trai Byers isn’t happy with the portrayal of his character, Andre Lyon, on Empire. It has been reported that Byers is quite displeased with his character’s level of importance this season. The publication reports that an insider recently spoke with Page Six about Byers’ discontentment with Empire. Initially, Trai Byers was thrilled about landing a role on Empire due to the show’s caliber, and even the success has been relatively rewarding, but the insider has revealed it’s still not enough.

LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 29: Actor Trai Byers arrives at the Television Academy event for Fox Tv’s “Empire” – A Performance Under The Stars at The Grove on May 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

“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 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.”

In true Andre Lyon fashion, Trai Byers reportedly had a meltdown on the set a couple weeks ago. Another insider claims Trai became angry with producers about his seemingly lackluster role on the show and has already threatened to leave, but the Empire producers aren’t worried just yet. In fact, the insider has revealed they’ve even called his bluff.

In addition to his frustration with the Empire role, he’s upset because he reportedly feels he should be receiving more recognition since he has formal training. For those who don’t know, Byers is a graduate of Yale University. So, it seems he wants more buck for his bang. He believes the role of Andre just isn’t dynamic enough for his level of talent.

Another insider added, “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.’ 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.”

The latest report follows a string of rumors about tension on the set of Empire. According to OK! magazine , an insider told the Daily Mail that Terrence Howard and Taraji Henson now have a substantial amount of creative control when it comes to script-writing and production. It has been rumored that a number of Empire actors can actually relate to Trai Byers’ frustrations as they too have seen a decrease in their lines and screen time.

In fact, Terrence and Taraji are reportedly responsible for final approval of written Empire scripts. If they believe others are receiving more screen time than necessary, they call for edits to delete lines and scenes, according to the insider. It has also been rumored that Trai Byers’ fiancée also faces opposition behind the scenes. Shortly after the first season aired, Malik Yoba also voiced his frustrations about his character being abruptly killed off at the end of the first season.

All of the behind-the-scenes rumors about Empire have yet to be confirmed or denied. As of now, all members of the Empire cast are set to return when the season airs on Mar 30.

How would you feel if Trai Byers left Empire? Share your thoughts.

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