Is Malik Yoba Bitter About Being Killed Off of 'Empire' Or Nah?
Warning: Empire season one spoilers ahead.
Vernon was the character who died on the Empire season finale — not that we're entirely surprised. He is the one who knew Lucious killed Bunky, plus he already tried to take away Lucious' control of the company and was dabbling in coke. The odds weren't in his favor. Getting killed off a hit show is a tough break for any actor, especially when you weren't that memorable to begin with. The TV veteran is going hard on a post-Empire press tour this week, discussing his not-so-dearly departed character. And honestly? It's more than we ever got from him on 10 episodes of Empire. Although apparently that's not his fault. "It’s bad enough y’all haven’t written anything real significant that I can sink my teeth into," Yoba said during his interview with The Combat Jack Show. "People don’t even know who Vernon was."
Check out this week's interviews and decide for yourself: bitter or nah?
Here he is on The View
Explaining that he got the call saying Vernon was going to die while helping out with a documentary on Ferguson. Then he busts out the guitar (clearly still angry that Terrence Howard got to sing the sultry Spanish guitar in the finale). Like Trai Byers, whose character Andre is specifically not musical, Yoba has a voice of his own.
Here he is on PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton
Trying to pretend he's not bitter after getting killed off of his 13th television series, and totally busy.
Here's his interview on The Combat Jack Show
This is where he really goes in on the writers for failing to give Vernon a backstory (although maybe they felt he didn't need one?):
Lee [Daniels] doesn’t run the show. Him and Danny Strong created the show, but he doesn’t run it. There’s a woman named Ilene Chaiken that actually runs the show. Meaning, she runs the writer’s room, she’s in charge of hiring the directors and oversees the whole creative process of the show.
It’s bad enough y’all haven’t written anything real significant that I can sink my teeth into. People don’t even know who Vernon was.
He also reiterates his musical background:
I come up from a music background. Dame Dash grew up in my building. I remember when him and Jay [Z] first met. Watching Russell Simmons create Def Jam in New York City, watching all these cats. So I knew who the Vernon-type cat is suppose to be. By the third episode, I asked "Did y’all even write a bio for this dude? How am I suppose to connect the dots?"
Here he is on TMZ Live
Calling in from the car and spilling the tea that co-creator Lee Daniels said FOX "insisted" someone needed to die in the finale.
Too little too late, or was his character underdeveloped throughout season one? We appreciate him putting on a good face about it all, but let's not forget that he's the one who outed co-star Jussie Smollett before he could discuss his sexuality for himself. And then there are the rumors he got fired from the show because of drugs. ybe the dramatic world of Empire Entertainment isn't that disconnected from real life after all.
Will you miss Vernon? Does New York Undercover deserve a reboot? Let us know in the comments.
A photo posted by malikyoba (@malikyoba) on Mar 19, 2015 at 1:00pm PDT
We have our own idea of who should guest star on Empire in season two.
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[Photo Credit: FOX]