Season 2 of “Empire” keeps the drama spinning with Wednesday night’s episode, “Time Shall Unfold,” as not only did audiences find out that Lucious’ (Terrence Howard) mother is still alive … but she looks nothing like actress Kelly Rowland, who previously portrayed this role of Leah Walker in flashbacks. The 72-year-old Emmy and Tony-award winning actress, with suspiciously much lighter skin, Leslie Uggams has taken over the part, much to fans’ chagrin.
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The episode ends with Thirsty (Andre Royo) dropping off an envelope of money to Grandma Lyon, who apparently is not lying in the grave marked with her name on it for which Lucious and Andre (Trai Byers) visited. Who’s in that grave? Why is Lucious taking this lie so far?
These questions, however, got brushed aside. Audiences got seriously sidetracked upon seeing Uggams play Lucious’ mom, because her skin tone is about 10 times lighter than that of Rowland’s.
Uggams does not look anything like Rowland. Why couldn’t they put Rowland in old lady make-up? Or maybe the woman Uggams is portraying, the woman audiences saw singing “Mona Lisa” in a nursing whom in New Hope, Pa., isn’t Lucious’ mother at all! Maybe she’s an imposter? Crazier things have happened! To get the answers to these questions — and the real story behind Grandma Lyon — Audiences are simply going to have to wait and see.
“Empire” airs on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
