March 19--During a recent interview with "Empire" actor Malik Yoba, I asked if he had started apartment hunting in Chicago now that the hit Fox drama, which films in the city, had been picked up for a second season. Yoba, who plays Empire Entertainment chairman Vernon Turner, discussed the economics of that sort of purchase and talked about how his friend and "Chicago P.D." actor Jon Seda had bought a place in Chicago, but then he paused momentarily and unexpectedly came clean.
"I die in the season finale," Yoba said.
Oh.
Did Yoba -- who is murdered by Andre Lyon's wife, Rhonda, of all people -- see it coming? Yes and no.
"I had no idea," Yoba said. "I found out two days before the show got picked up for a second season. In some ways, I wasn't surprised because I didn't feel the character had developed. He's been on the fringes and hadn't really been integrated into stories. We didn't know anything about him. As an actor, I tried to make him as powerful and truthful as I could, whether it was with a look or quick word of monologue."
Yoba said he is currently focused on Iconic32, the lifestyle company he co-founded which helps promote and develop socially-driven art, music, fashion and technology. The Iconic32 launch party in July brought together the Bucketfeet footwear brand and Chicago rapper Common for a private pop-up shop performance in New York, which raised money for the Common Ground Foundation.
"It's fun to be on a great show, and ('Empire') is a great show," Yoba said. "I'm happy for everyone -- the creators and actors. But at the end of the day, when you're an actor, you're just an actor. The real empire is building your own (stuff). Doing 'Empire' was great because it spoke to where I am as a man. I'm not just an actor -- I'm a man who is about business and creating opportunities."
