<P> Lucious Lyon ( born Dwight Walker ) is a fictional character from the Fox drama series Empire , portrayed by Terrence Howard . Lucious is the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series . Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong , Lucious is the founder and CEO of Empire Entertainment , a world - famous and renowned record company that he runs with his family . Realizing he will need a successor after he is diagnosed with ALS , Lucious pits his three sons -- the college - educated executive Andre Lyon ( Trai Byers ) , the talented and gay singer / songwriter Jamal ( Jussie Smollett ) and youngest , rapper Hakeem ( Bryshere Y. Gray ) -- against one another . The story parallels William Shakespeare 's King Lear and James Goldman 's The Lion in Winter . He is the husband of former drug dealer and ex-con Cookie Lyon ( Taraji P. Henson ) . </P>
<P> Lucious Lyon ( born Dwight Walker ) is a fictional character from the Fox drama series Empire , portrayed by Terrence Howard . Lucious is the main protagonist and anti-hero of the series . Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong , Lucious is the founder and CEO of Empire Entertainment , a world - famous and renowned record company that he runs with his family . Realizing he will need a successor after he is diagnosed with ALS , Lucious pits his three sons -- the college - educated executive Andre Lyon ( Trai Byers ) , the talented and gay singer / songwriter Jamal ( Jussie Smollett ) and youngest , rapper Hakeem ( Bryshere Y. Gray ) -- against one another . The story parallels William Shakespeare 's King Lear and James Goldman 's The Lion in Winter . He is the husband of former drug dealer and ex-con Cookie Lyon ( Taraji P. Henson ) . </P>
what disease does lucious lyon have on empire
what disease does lucious lyon have on empire
ALS
ALS