EMPIRE: Andre Royo Teases His Guest Arc

With Lucious Lyon in jail by the end of EMPIRE’s breakout first season, he’ll need a new ally in his corner: Andre Royo’s “Thirsty” Rawlings.

“[He]’s a lawyer,” Royo told reporters. “It’s [been] pretty cool, it’s a fun time…[Terrence Howard] is a very dynamic dude — [as is] the whole cast. It’s probably the closest to that theater feel; the script is there, and that’s a blueprint. I come from THE WIRE, 95 percent was on the page — don’t even try to ad lib, though I got away with [some]. But overall, with EMPIRE and me and Terrence, it’s a real dynamic theater [feel], and it helps me have a theatrical spin — everything is big, everything is over the top, and at the end of the day, you just enjoy. So I’m having a blast.”

Royo’s lawyer is not particularly musically inclined — but that could, of course, change. “If I do [a song], it will probably be more rapping,” he laughed.

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EMPIRE: Andre Royo to Recur

Andre Royo is joining the EMPIRE.

A rep for the show has confirmed that Royo will recur in the upcoming second season as Thirsty Rawlings, a lawyer who impresses Lucious. (As you may recall, Lucious ended the season in jail.)

Royo — who is best known for his role on THE WIRE — recently appeared on HAPPYISH, and is part of the upcoming Amazon original series, HAND OF GOD.

TVLine was first to report the casting.

EMPIRE returns Wednesday, September 23rd at 9 PM on Fox.

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