In the Empire episode “Love All, Trust a Few,” the Lyon family continues to work outside of Empire and gets back in their groove with a brand-new project. When Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Portia (Ta’Rhonda Jones) hear a young man singing in the back of an Instagram video that goes viral, they set out to track him down. When they find him working at a junk yard, they’re quick to offer him a contract but they’re not quick enough. Becky (Gabourey Sibide) gets to the young man, Devon, first.
Devon is portrayed by R&B and pop artist Mario. Mario, born Mario Dewar Barrett, is best known for his singles “Just a Friend” (2002) and “Let Me Move You” (2004). After a nine year hiatus, Mario just released his fifth studio album Dancing Shadows on October 5. The 33-year-old kid from Baltimore is making a comeback.
Empire isn’t Mario’s acting debut. He played the lead roles in the 2006 film Step Up (Miles Darby) and the 2007 film Freedom Writers (Andre Bryant). Mario also competed on Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars in 2008. He made it far with pro dancer Karina Smirnoff (5th place); Kristi Yamaguchi won. Empire airs Wednesdays at 8pm on FOX, right before Star.
