Lucious Lyon

Lucious Lyon
Empire character
Portrayed byTerrence Howard
First appearance"Pilot" (2015)
Created byLee Daniels and Danny Strong
In-universe information
Other namesDwight Walker (birth name)
OccupationPartner in Lyon Family Management
Rapper
Record producer
Former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Empire Enterprises
FatherJoe Walker
MotherLeah Walker
Half-brothersTariq Cousins
Spouse
  • Cookie Lyon (divorced then remarried)
    Anika Calhoun (divorced)
Sons
Grandsons
  • Prince Lyon
  • Walker Lyon
Granddaughters
  • Bella Lyon
  • Princess Lyon (deceased)
Other relativesRhonda Lyon

Lucious Lyon (born Dwight Walker) is a fictional character from the Fox drama series Empire, portrayed by Terrence Howard. Lucious is the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series.[1] Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, Lucious is the founder and CEO of Empire Entertainment, a world-famous and renowned record company that he runs with his family. Realizing he will need a successor after he is diagnosed with ALS, Lucious pits his three sons: the college-educated executive Andre Lyon (Trai Byers), the talented and gay singer-songwriter Jamal (Jussie Smollett), and youngest, rapper Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray), against one another.[2] The story has parallels to William Shakespeare's King Lear and James Goldman's The Lion in Winter, while the character of a rapper and music mogul is loosely based on several real-life figures, including rappers, record producers and politicians.[3][4][5][6] Lyon is married to former wife, drug dealer, ex-con, and former partner of Empire Entertainment, Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson).

  1. ^ Nussaum, Emily (January 26, 2015). "House of Chords". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  2. ^ Zeitchick, Steven (January 2, 2015). "Opposites Lee Daniels, Danny Strong unite to create 'Empire'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  3. ^ Hiltbrand, David (January 21, 2015). "Daniels uses his Philadelphia roots for successful 'Empire' TV drama". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Interstate General Media. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Complex022615 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Lloyd, Robert (January 7, 2015). "Review in hip-hop-fueled 'Empire,' 'King Lear' meets 'Dynasty'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  6. ^ Grubbs, Jefferson (January 21, 2015). "Is 'Empire' Based On 'King Lear'? The Fox Drama Actually Has More in Common With Another Play". Bustle. New York City: Bustle Media Group. Retrieved March 8, 2015.