Jamal Lyon
| Jamal Lyon | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Empire character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Jussie Smollett | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1.01) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Lee Daniels and Danny Strong | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Occupation |
Singer-songwriter Former CEO of Empire Enterprises |
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| Residence | New York City, New York | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Parents | |
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| Stepmother | Anika Calhoun (2016–) |
| Brothers | |
| Spouse | Olivia Lyon (divorced) |
| Grandfathers |
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| Grandmothers | Leah Walker |
| Uncles | Tariq Cousins |
| Aunts |
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| Nieces and nephews | Bella Lyon |
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Jamal Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama, Empire on Fox. Portrayed by Jussie Smollett, Jamal is the middle son of hip-hop mogul Lucious (Terrence Howard) and his ex-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). Jamal, a talented R&B singer and songwriter, struggles to gain his father's approval, but is able to overcome this adversity with Cookie's support. He initially expresses resentment towards fame and is hesitant to be in the limelight, but he gradually embraces it once Cookie begins to manage his career. Jamal engages in what was once a friendly competition against his younger brother and best friend Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) to determine who is more musically gifted, while maintaining a cold distance from his older brother Andre (Trai Byers) for his perpetual scheming. Jamal struggles with his father's objection to his homosexuality, which was inspired by Empire creator Lee Daniels' own relationship with his father.
Jamal Lyon was born to Lucious (Terrence Howard) and Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the second of three sons. Jamal grew up with his brothers, father, and mother; his parents were selling drugs in the Philadelphia ghetto they lived in to finance Lucious' music career. As a child, he began to dress in women's clothing, which caused his father to throw him outside into a trash can in an effort to curb his homosexuality. In school, other children could not accept his sexuality and constantly bullied him. When Cookie was arrested for selling drugs, Jamal was the only family member that visited her in jail. Once Lucious made it big as a rapper and started Empire Entertainment, Jamal became a singer signed to the company. Despite his talent, he refuses to tour and prefers to perform for small audiences in local clubs. Jamal lives with his boyfriend Michael Sanchez (Rafael de La Fuente), a relationship of which his father strongly disapproves.
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Wikipedia