Trai Byers, Andre From Empire

Empire returns soon so there’s no better time to discuss she show’s talented stars. In the show’s first season Andre Lyon roared to life, and a star was born, Trai Byers, the amazing actor that helped shed light on bipolar disorder.

Trai Byers

Trai Byers is also one of show’s sexiest stars! Hailing from Kansas City, Kansas Byers’ father was in the U.S. Air Force enabling Trai to see numerous parts of the world at an early age. The following video shows Trai’s debut appearance on Ellen:

Byers attended Andrew College, a religious institution, where he received his Associates Degree in Theater. Byers then attended the historically black college, Prairie View A&M University before transferring to the University of Kansas.

At the University of Kansas, Byers earned his bachelor’s degree in communications. The actor was then accepted to the prestigious Yale School of Drama where he earned his master’s degree in acting.

Trai Byers is from Kansas City, KS but currently resides in Los Angeles.

This article will first discuss Trai Byers and then it will analyze the character he plays on the Empire TV show, Andre Lyon. Use the contents section below to navigate to the section you wish.

Contents

Trai Byers

Trai Byers Age
Trai Byers Wife
Trai Byers Singing
Trai Byers Height
Trai Byers Shirtless
Trai Byers Movies and TV Shows

Andre Lyon

Andre and Rhonda
Mental Health
Vernon Turner
Andre and Lucious
Andre and Cookie
Andre and Jamal
Andre and Hakeem
Deputy Alvarez
Baptism
Empire Entertainment
Gutter Life Records
#WhoPushedRhonda

Trai Byers

Trai Byers Age
Trai Byers was born on July 19, 1983 therefore he is 32 years old. Trai is a Cancer, known for being optimistic, compassionate and sensitive.

Trai Byers

Trai Byers Wife
Grace Gealey and Trai Byers are engaged. The wonderful news came in July 2015 with the couple revealing that they were dating in March 2015. Byers proposed to Gealey on her birthday, July 26.

Grace Gealey and Trai Byers

Gealey, who plays Boo Boo Kitty on Empire, has been showing off her amazing ring! The couple got engaged during a romantic getaway to Chicago.

Grace Gealey Ring

Trai Byers Singing
While Trai Byers may not sing on Empire, the actor has a beautiful voice that we would love to hear on the show! The following video shows Byers singing Stevie Wonder’s “Lately”:

Trai Byers Height
Trai Byers is 6′ 2″ and weighs 170 pounds.

Trai Byers Shirtless

Trai Byers Movies and TV Shows

Ceasar and Otto’s Summer Camp Massacre as Chip (2009)
All My Children as Mookie (2011)
90210 as Alec Martin (2012)
Destination Planet Negro as B-12 (2013)
Jayhawkers as Nathan Davis (2014)
Selma as James Forman (2014)
Empire as Andre Lyon (2015-present)
Americons as Theo Jones (2015)

Trai Byers

Andre Lyon

Andre Martin Lyon is Cookie and Lucious’ oldest son. In Empire’s first season Andre is Empire Entertainment’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Andre is very smart, helping his father plan strategically to ensure Empire’s fiscal strength.

Andre and Rhonda

Rhonda Lyon (Kaitlin Doubleday) is Andre’s wife. In high school, Rhonda worked three jobs to make it to the Ivy League. Both Rhonda and Andre are very ambitious, business savvy individuals with dreams of leading Empire Entertainment.

In Empire’s first season Rhonda proved that she would stop at nothing to help Andre become Empire’s new leader. Rhonda met Andre at Wharton while she was dating someone else. She eventually kicked the guy she was dating to the curb and fell in love with Andre.

Andre Rhonda Bib Empire

Andre and Rhonda got married and quickly became one of New York’s most powerful couples. Rhonda and Andre team up to turn Hakeem and Jamal against each other to improve Andre’s chances of becoming Lucious’ successor.

In college, Andre was diagnosed with bipolar disorder yet Rhonda did not let Andre’s health condition negatively impact how much she loved him. Rhonda is right by Andre’s side while he’s struggling through his mental breakdown.

Mental Health
In the show’s first season Andre avoids taking his bipolar medication and even flushes his pills down the toilet. Rhonda gets very upset at Andre on multiple occasions about his condition. Rhonda tries to persuade Andre to take his medication and see his doctor but Andre refuses leading his condition to grow worst.

Empire is on lockdown after Lucious finds out that Anika is doing business with Baretti (Judd Nelson) leading Andre, Jamal and Hakeem to get stuck on the elevator. Andre has a meltdown on the elevator but luckily Jamal and Hakeem are able to calm him down.

Andre Lyon Suicide Attempt

The second season of Empire shows that Lucious’ mother suffered a mental illness leading her to commit suicide. Lucious is having difficulties separating his mother’s past condition from his son’s current condition leading him to treat Andre differently than he treats Jamal and Hakeem.

Andre Lyon proves that people with mental health conditions can be successful. Andre graduated from a very competitive institution and has done a magnificent job with Empire’s financial affairs.

Vernon Turner
Vernon Turner (Malik Yoba) was one of Lucious’ good friends and the Lyon brothers considered him their uncle. Vernon is Chairman of the Board at Empire and Lucious relies on him for advice and support.

Andre’s wife, Rhonda, kills Vernon in the first season’s finale episode by hitting him over the head with a candlestick. Andre and Vernon were fighting and Rhonda panicked, ultimately murdering her husband’s uncle.

Andre and Vernon Empire

In order to be accepted back at Empire Lucious tells Andre that he has to give him something that no one else could provide. After Prosecutor Roxanne Ford (Tyra Ferrell) lies about having Vernon in custody Lucious is convinced that his legal problems will go away if he can make Vernon disappear forever.

Lucious and his lawyer, Thirsty Rawlings (Andre Royo) track down Andre and Rhonda’s car and find them digging up Vernon’s body. Lucious is pleased and allows Andre to return to Empire. Lucious puts Vernon’s dead corpse in Roxanne Ford’s car.

Andre and Lucious
Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) is Andre’s father. Andre is Lucious’ only son without musical talent so Andre believes that Lucious treats him differently than he treats Jamal and Hakeem. Lucious has experienced his mother’s bipolar condition and she ended up committing suicide so he finds it difficult to trust Andre.

Andre and Lucious Empire

In the show’s second season Lucious allows Andre to return to Empire after Andre digs ups Vernon’s body. When Lucious finds out that Rhonda is pregnant he buys the couple a house proving how much their relationship has improved.

Andre and Cookie
Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) is Andre’s mother. At the end of the show’s first season Andre, Cookie, Hakeem and Anika plan a hostile takeover to remove Lucious as CEO. The plan blows up in their face thanks to Mimi Whiteman.

Andre and Cookie Empire

Andre and Cookie have a great relationship. Andre initially teams up with his mother and Hakeem to create Lyon Dynasty but he quickly realizes that he belongs at Empire. Cookie did not get upset, instead she supported Andre’s decision.

Andre and Jamal
Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett) is Andre’s younger brother. In the show’s first season Andre gets Hakeem’s friends to rob Jamal while he is recording at Ghetto Ass Studios.

Andre and Jamal Empire

Andre tells his brother that he set up the robbery in order to get baptized. While Hakeem hesitates before forgiving his brother, Jamal immediately forgive Andre for his mistake showing how much he loves and supports him.

Andre and Hakeem
Hakeem Lyon (Bryshere Y. Gray) is Andre’s younger brother. In the show’s first season Andre leaks a video of Tiana (Serayah McNeill) making out with her girlfriend humiliating Hakeem. Andre also sends Hakeem’s friends to rob Jamal leading Jamal to believe Hakeem set up the robbery.

Andre and Hakeem Empire

In Empire’s second season Andre confesses his past mistakes to his brothers in order to get baptized. It will be interesting to see if Andre and Hakeem will be able to work together now that Hakeem is Empire’s new leader.

Deputy Alvarez
In the show’s first season Lucious sends Andre to meet Deputy Mayor Alvarez, Lucious’ connect in City Hall. Lucious needs information from her regarding the witness in Bunkie’s case and Andre knows just how to get it:

Andre and Deputy Alvarez

In the show’s second season Lucious attempts to send Andre to the Deputy again to get Freda Gatz’s charges dropped yet the process plays out differently this time. Andre blackmails the Deputy! Many Empire fans believe that the Deputy is #WhoPushedRhonda

Baptism
In Empire’s second season Andre decides to get baptized but must first get forgiveness from his family for his sins. He informs Jamal and Hakeem that he convinced Hakeem’s friends to rob Jamal because he was so desperate to be chosen as Lucious’ successor.

Andre Lyon Baptism

Hakeem has difficulties forgiving Andre but after Jamal forgives him Hakeem does the same. Lucious asks Jamal to see Deputy Alvarez again but Andre decides not to have sex with her this time because he knows its wrong and is devoted to living a sin-free life.

Empire Entertainment
At the end of the show’s first season Andre, Hakeem, Cookie and Anika plan a hostile takeover to remove Lucious as CEO of Empire. After the plan blows up in their face Cookie decides to create a new label, Lyon Dynasty which Andre initially agrees to join.

Andre Lucious and Mimi

Soon after, Andre realizes that Empire is where he wants to be. Lucious makes it difficult for Andre to return to Empire but after he digs up Vernon, Lucious invites Andre to return. To welcome Andre back to Empire Lucious throws him a party with alcohol and strippers.

Gutter Life Records
Gutter Life Records was a defunct label that Lucious decided to buy, making it a division of Empire Entertainment. Lucious’ vision for Gutter Life is to promote artists from the street, including his coveted rapper Freda Gatz.

Lucious appoints Andre the president of Gutter Life Records. Andre is certain Lucious is testing him so he does not let his position upset him. Andre is worried about the label’s image, especially how the artists appear to Empire’s stockholders.

Gutter Life Records

Andre meets with every artist on the new label to analyze the character of each individual. Andre is very satisfied after meeting J Poppa, a Gutter Life artist who explains that the “J” stands for the “Book of Job” one of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible.

J Poppa is dating Becky Williams (Gabourey Sidibe) Empire’s A&R rep. Andre convinces the rapper to incorporate the word in his lyrics and J Poppa does so at the record label’s showcase.

#WhoPushedRhonda

In the show’s midseason finale Andre’s wife Rhonda is pushed down the stairs of their home. Rhonda is pregnant with the couple’s child therefore Empire fans can’t wait to see if Rhonda and her unborn child survived the fall.

Who Pushed Rhonda?

Andre has been seen in the show’s promo videos scream as though he found out horrible news and we are praying the couple did not lose their baby. Between Lucious, Cookie and the rest of the Lyon-gang, the person that pushed Rhonda down the stairs will be take care of.